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Champagne $1 00 (all week long) Domestics *2. 75 (all week long) A *■ V . Passing Out At Genco • •• Priceless. 246 E. Clayton & rp Gj d d% d d u www.painandwonder.com (706) 208-9588 285 \\ . Washington Street BODY IMERC1NC GLASS HALF-FULL This week I present two independent releases that are dark, uncomfortable, slightly sadistic... and highly enjoyable. Both films are riddled with drugs, frustration and depression. But, there are thin, silver threads lining these narrative storm clouds. Each film's young starlet outshines her surrounding gloom and gives a performance of astonishing poignance and innocence. Some people will be upset by these films; others, such as myself, will sit back and think, "What a wonderfully-twisted tale of survival." It's the old "glass half-empty" or "glass half-full" conundrum. Okay, enough preaching, just enjoy (if you dare): HALF NELSON (R) 2006. A slow, deliberate ar ticulation of the near-impossibility of breaking human habits, patterns and prejudices, the debut film of director Ryan Fleck follows the gradual demise of an idealistic and unmotivated teacher, Dan Dunne, (Ryan Gosling), whose only attain able goal in life is his getting his next fix (crack, cocaine, you name it). A facade of lofty ideals, a bookshelf of rebel lious literature and a series of half-hearted lec tures about "opposing forces" to inner-city 8th TIDELAND (R) 2005. This film is a twisted car nival ride that's both stomach-churning and fun until its finish. I found myself disgusted, amused, disturbed and entranced by what was playing out in front of me, and I couldn't take my eyes off this "Nightmare in Wonderland." The critics gave Tideland a merciless beat ing. The disturbing, colorful film was received about as well as a case of Ebola, being described as "trashy and disgusting" (New York Post) and a "diseased Lewis Carroll universe" (Chicago Reader). Unfortunately, I think too many critics were turned off by the film's creepy and alarm ing elements and failed to acknowledge the screenplay's prowess and the film's skillful direc tion and acting. In Tideland, Jeliza-Rose (Jodelle Ferland) is a white-trash Alice, a child who spends her days at home with her junkie parents, cooking up daddy's (Jeff Bridges) heroin, brushing her mother's (Jennifer Tilly) long, skanky locks and playing with her friends; a collective of doll-heads she wears on her fingers. The misadventure begins with her mother's overdose. From there, her fa ther flees town and the two set up shop in her dead grandmother's dilapidated shack. Tideland graders make a shabby veil for his own weakness es. One of his students, Drey (Shareeka Epps), discovers his secret after a basketball game, when she finds him smoking crack in the girls' bathroom. Shocked by what she sees, Drey man ages to sympathize with Dunne's depression and frustration. Plus, Drey's no stranger to Dunne's temptations, as she witnesses friends and family succumb to criminal lifestyles. Fleck's work is deceptively skilled for a first time director. His direction shows an instinctive, sensitive grasp of human behavior. Imitating the drug haze in which Dunne shuffles through his days, scenes bleed into one another set to the music of indie favorite Broken Social Scene, whose song "Shampoo Suicide" serves as a kind of unofficial theme for the film. What could eas ily be a dark, hopelessly depressing film turns out to be a poignant depiction of an unlikely friendship between a struggling addict and a bold, 13 year-old woman. Epps was a surprise Best Actress winner at this year's Spirit Awards, though she went unnoticed at the Oscars. Gosling, on the other hand, scored an upset Best Actor nod at this year's Academy Awards and joined Epps in the winners' circle at the Spirit Awards, taking home Best Actor for his work in the film. In fact, Gosling'dedicated a good portion of his acceptance speech to ac knowledging the thespian prowess of his young costar. It goes without saying that the dynamic shared between Epps and Gosling on screen is the lynchpin of Half Neborfs success. Grade: A* As Jeliza settles into her new home. Daddy decides to "take a vacation" and overdoses. Completely unaware of his death, Jeliza plays nonstop in the desolate wonderland that engulfs her, striking a bizarre friendship with a develop- mentally challenged young man and his older, taxidermist sister. Oh, and she also makes time to dress up Daddy's slowly decaying corpse with bright, blonde wigs and pretty princess makeup. The movie is a colorful rollercoaster that somehow maintains a faint (albeit it twisted) sense of humor throughout. Above all accolades, however, Ferland deserves immense credit for her execution of her fantastical role. Not only did she master the part of Jeliza, but she nailed the voices of Jeliza's doll-heads that are her only "true" friends. Yes, it's totally creepy—if by creepy, you mean totally awesome. It's understandable why the film had such a rough reception. Some of the scenes are very unsettling and uncomfortable. Terry Gilliam (12 Monkeys, Brazil) has long been associated with a cinematic style that is irreverent and macabre, and Tideland is no exception. However, Gilliam uses Lewis Carroll's fascinating fairytale as the skeleton for a wild ride down a different sort of rabbit hole. The final result is a controversial piece of cinematic art that, I believe, defines Gilliam as a rebellious director whose unorthodox style is grounded enough to be credible and hu morous enough to be enjoyable. Grade: A+ Robin Geddie 20 FLAGPOLE.COM MARCH 28,2007 NEWS & FEATURES I ARTS & EVENTS I MOVIES I MUSIC I COMICS & ADVICE I CLASSIFIEDS