8
Ryan Gosling gives an Oscar-worthy performance as an innovative, effective teacher in an inner-city school who has more than his share of personal demons to conquer, not the least of which is addiction to crack. It's nice to see an indie flick with a well-written script make it to the big screen, particularly one that doesn't cater to audience expectations or Hollywood cliches. Shakeera Epps is also good as the student who cares about her teacher but struggles with the battles of growing up in a broken home with a confusing array of role models to consider. Looking forward to more from this director and these actors in the future.