A teacher tries to uncover the reason behind a 15-year-old's chilling crime.
With a clumsy head butt rather than an delicate nod to Camus" "The Stranger", "United States of Leland" meditates on the inexplicable violence in post-Columbine, American suburbia by telling the story of one Leland Fitzgerald (Ryan Gosling), an introspective young man arrested after brutally stabbing to death the retarded younger brother of his drug addict ex-girlfriend. Confused yet? Narrative complexity is maximised as this solemn movie analyses Leland"s rejection of the system and asks the same big question Alan Brazil has been pondering since the moment of his own conception "Why?"
Leland is unable (for various reasons) to explain or even remember what he did or why he did it. As the world begins to implode and the protagonists question the notion of the American Dream, talk of the "sadness" by Leland during his period of self-exploration in juvenile hall is sufficient to enrapture Pearl Madison (Don Cheadle), the teacher at his detention centre and wannabe JD Salinger, who, in between chasing skirt with romantic "stamp"-chat, attempts to reach-out-to/exploit his new friend.
The acting and impressive cast (Spacey, Gosling, Malone, Cheadle etc) are noteworthy, especially Gosling whose infrequent yet revealing expressions of emotion imply a hidden accumulation of guilt, sadness, love, loneliness and disconnection. However, more interesting, and ultimately more contentious, are the constant platitudes about "life" delivered in nasal, monotone monologues by Leland. Is Leland some kind of perverted saint or just a cheerful psychopath? Thankfully, audience intelligence is recognised and the narrative does not explicitly hack together a prescriptive view to which the audience is expected to adhere. And whilst individual interpretation must be appreciated, the problem is that it may guide viewers towards confusing and ethically awkward alleyways likely to offend Simon Heffer, Peter Hitchens and any other comrade right of Margaret Thatcher.
For example, the sympathetic portrayal of Leland tends to gloss over his crime (that crime being that he mercilessly bludgeoning a handicapped child to death by stabbing him 19 times). Leland would no doubt point out that we are all "dying on the inside" and that stabbing a person 19 times is no worse than stabbing them 5 times if the outcome is still death, the "diet-philosophy" thrown out and allowed to marinate (minus the spicy bits) is naive and can border on self-conscious pretension. Especially when some of the profound messages appear inaccurate and confused. Foremost in this is Leland"s comment that "It's funny how people only say that ("I'm only human") after they do something bad." That Leland, is because the inclusion of "only" implies a limitation in man"s ability to live in a perpetual state of moral virtue and achievement. To say "I"m only human" after pulling Kirsten Dunst would be an asinine thing to say as it would imply fault or sin. Such a glorious achievement as enrapturing Ms Dunst would, instead, suggest "non-human" perfection.
As a film, the cinematic techniques deployed by writer/director Matthew Ryan Hoge do unnecessarily intersect unexplored subplots and thus hinder the natural tension such an emotive subject should create. The frequent disturbances provoked by non-linear storytelling and imposed biographical titbits marginalize the film"s central premise and diffuse any characterizations or momentum. Increasingly the film becomes dominated by disparate and unnecessary fragments of back-story for an overabundance of periphery characters (Leland's prison teacher, his nasty dad, his ex-girlfriend drug habits........)
Critics of the unambiguous ending overlook the thrust of the film and in their impatience neglect the message of moral doubt and questioning of the right/wrong distinction. The euthanasia debate the movie inspires is largely ignored in favour of the less touchy issue of violence among disaffected teenagers. Hoge"s insistence on presenting Leland as the face, heart and mind of the psychopathic adolescent loners whose mug shots are paraded on tabloids does not hempen enjoyment but leaves dissatisfaction at what this film, with a little more courage, might have been.
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Please note this is a region 2 DVD and will require a region 2 (Europe) or region Free DVD Player in order to play. Crime. Confusion. Compassion. They're all just states of mind. Sensitive, fifteen-year-old Leland murders a young boy on the playground, his only explanation at the time being, "he couldn't stand the sadness anymore". As the boys' families cope with their grief, a teacher at Juvenile Hall encourages Leland to keep a journal. Together, Leland and his teacher make a journey of self-discovery and learn how Leland's present and past actions have had a profound, even positive, influence on the people around him... Actors Don Cheadle, Ryan Gosling, Chris Klein, Jena Malone, Lena Olin, Kevin Spacey, Michelle Williams, Martin Donovan, Kerry Washington, Sherilyn Fenn, Matt Malloy, Michael Pena & Michael Welch Director Matthew Ryan Hoge Certificate 15 years and over Year 2003 Screen Widescreen 1.85:1 Anamorphic Languages English - Dolby Digital (5.1) Subtitles English for the hearing impaired
Kevin Spacey produced this psychological drama about a quiet, unassuming 15-year-old, Leland Fitzgerald (Ryan Gosling), who shocks his family and community by committing the brutal and seemingly senseless murder of the disabled younger brother of his junkie girlfriend, Becky (Jena Malone). After being arrested and sent to a juvenile detention centre, he comes into contact with prison writing teacher Pearl Madison (Don Cheadle), who becomes inspired to write about the events in Leland's life - especially when he discovers that Leland's father is the world-famous novelist Albert Fitzgerald (Spacey). The film premiered at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival.
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