Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by rico (A) on June 07, 2007 at 08:10:41

In the spirit of "The Station Agent" (in that it concerns an unusual relationship) this is one of the most moving films I have seen in years. Ryan Gosling plays a Brooklyn middle school teacher who is passionate about teaching and his basketball coaching (and excellent at both) but who is also secretly addicted to crack cocaine, which is slowly destroying his career, all his relationships, and his life. He befriends a young person who becomes aware of his addiction while she is also being seduced by other adults around her. This is a film which assumes that the viewer is intelligent and unlike, say, a Spike Lee film, doesn't hit you over the head as the plot slowly develops. I highly recommend this film to any serious movie lover.