The United States of Leland

[Canelek]

I just finished watching this DVD which I rented on a lark from some obscure preview. It is a bout this teenage kid that gets thrown in Juvenille Hall fior murdering another kid(who is mentally retarded).

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0301976/

Most of the movie revolves around memories and Leland (Ryan Gosling) trying to explain to his JH teacher (Don Cheadle)--as well as a narrative by Gosling's character, reading from his journal of how he views the world and the circumstances that lead to his violent act.

It is pretty much a dark drama about how one can view the world through a lens of sadness, but does show light and hope as the story unfolds. It is no eye-opening masterpiece, but it does tell a touching story of a kid growing up in an environment where he is trying to cope with his sense of being.

Aside from the good performances from the aforementioned characters, even the small players in this film did a fantastic job such as Ice Cube, Kevin Spacey and Sherilyn Fenn.... It is a bit of a sad story, but I enjoyed it all the same just due to the subtle beauty (ala American Beauty). It is no landmark film, but hey, do they all need to do anymore than to stir the emotions of the viewers?