The United States Of Leland
Crime. Confusion. Compassion. They're all just states of mind.
After seemingly ordinary 15-year-old Leland (Ryan Gosling) stuns his quiet suburban community with a chilling crime, he is sent to juvenile hall where he meets Pearl (Don Cheadle), a teacher and aspiring write who dreams of making Leland's compelling story into a book. As Pearl digs deeper into Leland's life and the people caught up in it - his mother (Lena Olin), his famous writer-father (Kevin Spacey), and his troubled girlfriend (Jena Malone) - he uncovers Leland's disturbing motive. The tables soon turn when the enigmatic teen forces Pearl to examine his own morally questionable behavior. Climaxing with a shocking collision of violence, understanding, and hope, Leland will take you to states you never imagined. With an ensemble cast that also includes Chris Klein an Michelle Williams, The United States of Leland is "sure to be controversial!" - Susannah Gora, Premiere.
Member Reviews
not bad little gem of a film a la American Beauty - quiet, sad, interesting - Scopitone
This is a quiet little film with some great actors. If you're like most people, you rented this because of Ryan Gosling, right? Well, it is quite interesting to see the young Gosling already exhibiting such fantastic acting skills. There's also Michelle Williams, who is always wonderful, and the lovely Jena Malone. This is a sad little film that asks some questions about the nature of crime. The ending isn't great but you can't have it all.Talented cast does not disappoint - Kasimarra
This cast contains some of my favorite actors out there. Ryan Gosling is amazing, Don Cheadle, Jena Malone, Michelle Williams are all great talents who brought alot to their roles in this film.
This movie won't make you feel good. It is both tragic and haunting.
Ryan Gosling makes Leland a compelling and relatable character, while still feeling cold and distant from his world. You can tell something is broken, but you don't know what or why until the story unfolds.
This film opened up my eyes and quite possibly changed my life. I feel like it achieved everything it was reaching for. Beautiful and tragic.surprising sleeper - the_boobears
When this movie was recommended to me, I was surprised that I'd never heard of it; given such an accomplished ensemble cast. Ryan Gosling has never let me down yet and I'm continually surprised by the dept and breadth of his ability as an actor. The story was compelling and surprisingly introspective. While the script did seem to be rife with pregnant pauses, I found the beauty of the film was all in the subtext. I urge all serious film buffs to check this out.
Member Reviews
Read All...
not bad little gem of a film a la American Beauty - quiet, sad, interesting - Scopitone
This is a quiet little film with some great actors. If you're like most people, you rented this because of Ryan Gosling, right? Well, it is quite interesting to see the young Gosling already exhibiting such fantastic acting skills. There's also Michelle Williams, ...Talented cast does not disappoint - Kasimarra
This cast contains some of my favorite actors out there. Ryan Gosling is amazing, Don Cheadle, Jena Malone, Michelle Williams are all great talents who brought alot to their roles in this film.
This movie won't make you feel good. It is both tragic and ...surprising sleeper - the_boobears
When this movie was recommended to me, I was surprised that I'd never heard of it; given such an accomplished ensemble cast. Ryan Gosling has never let me down yet and I'm continually surprised by the dept and breadth of his ability as an actor. The story ...