Seis De Mayo

Apparently Cinco de Mayo means heavy movies. I watched two. Half Nelson and A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints. Some similar themes, but significantly different films. Both were well acted, well shot, and well written.
Ryan Gosling was amazing in Half Nelson. The young girl (Shareeka Epps) definitely has a future in the film business. The movie was gritty and raw, but within the raw imagery was a balance of a Dead Poets Society classroom and the drug realism of Traffic or Rush.
Chances are A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints didn't show up on your radar. I didn't know much about the story when I dropped it in my queue, just saw a favorable review from someone I trust. It stars Robert Downey, Jr. and Shia LeBeouf as Dito Montiel. The film simultaneously follows him coming of age in New York and a successful 30 something returning to care for his ailing father. It's powerful and entertaining, but definitely heavy. Robert Downey, Jr. is on the short list of actors who I can watch do anything.