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A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (2006)
High on its own fumes, and full of nothing
Boring, contrived, messy. These are just some of the words that describe how awful this film is.
Dianne Wiest is too good for this rubbish. Robert Downy Jr, (as the adult Dito), is unconvincing - his presence is more of a distraction than anything else. Channing Tatum, (as the young bad boy Antonio), is over the top and ridiculous. Shia Labeouf, (as the young Dito), is completely wasted - the story should have stayed in the past and focused on him. The rest of the cast is forgettable.
The flashing forward and back, between the past and the present, is a distraction. This is down to the fact that the present day cast/story is weak and uninteresting.
This film is not "raw", it captures no great "mood", it doesn't say anything that hasn't already been said, (and better). It's just a disappointing mess.
Half Nelson (2006)
An Ode to the Mammy
I wanted to like this film, I really did. I sat through the opening minutes slightly perturbed by what I was watching, but as I enjoy Ryan Gosling's acting style, I decided to soldier on. ... Then came the scene in the girl's toilets.
**spoilers below**
Upon discovering her teacher high on crack and lying on the floor of the girl's bathroom, we're expected to believe that Drey, (a 13yr old black student), would without any qualms or motive, drop to her knees and then start mopping at his brow. This is completely ludicrous. This is also the moment where the film lost me.
The theme of Drey having no personality or motive, whilst adopting the role of carer to her crack-head teacher, is continued throughout the film; it's also solidified in the end scene where she goes to her teacher's drug den, brings him home and then cleans him up!
Half Nelson's portrayal of a young black girl living in NYC is so ridiculous, it's insulting. Why does she even want in on her teacher's life? Some have surmised that she has a crush on him, others say she's looking for a father figure; well I say she's a mere prop to his angst-ridden life musings.
I agree with the reviewer from NYC, this film is an ode to the Mammy.