Half Nelson

This year has been very disappointing in terms of movies. When you watch a movie now, you always say to yourself, "Have I seen this before?" Of course, in the case of Jackass 2, you can't really say that you've seen someone have their privates be bitten by a snake. (Then again, what you do in your private time is your business) But I saw "Half-Nelson" with Aegean and we were both blown away by it. I haven't seen a film like this all year. It's a simple story, but I think we all need something simple. I guess I liked it because Ryan Gosling is really really good as this sad and pathetic teacher who snorts (and smokes) crack. He is my new favorite actor and for the first time I can say with full dignity that I want to see "The Notebook."