The United States of Leland

I thought it was a good movie, not great, but good. Gosling is the standout, and Spacey returns to his roots with a cute performance. The plot moved quickly and with this stellar cast, they all held their own. Surprisingly enough... Full review

I’m partial to movies portraying alienation in suburban America. I’m also partial to movies portraying the human side of those who are incarcerated. The United States of Leland has both so I was bound to like it, but I’m afraid my... Full review

I hate the way the critics make this movie sound. While the movie deals with a crime that is not something that should be thrown under the rug, the movie was great. It taught a great lesson, and the characters of... Full review

This was definitely a twisted movie. The complete opposite of a pick-me-up. The movie about a synical kid who has no remorse for the murder of a kid because it was for the betterment of the child is awkward. How someone... Full review

Amazing performance by Ryan Gosling! I love the naration by the main character and what he says to the other characters! This movie makes you think!... Full review

I was looking for Don Cheadle movies I hadn't seen and tried this one. Not terrible, but close. There is absolutely no one to like or root for in this disjointed tale of amorality and self-centeredness. Everyone and I mean everyone... Full review

The United States of Leland is one of the best movies I have ever seen. The story line was amazing because it was not overly dramatic about the murders. It focus mainly why he did it more so than what he... Full review

this is one of those movies which would stick to your mind for a couple of days after watching it. I couldn't stop thinking that the ending could have been better though. it's the kind of semi-sad semi-weird movie that you... Full review

This is one of the best movies I have seen! If you don't understand the movie you are just plain stupid! For christ sakes I am 14 and I understood the movie perfectly the first time I saw it. Allen killed... Full review

This movie is a movie that will keep you guessing even long after you watch it. Ryan Gosling's character is amazing and allows you to see the world in a completley different way. Bring tissues and be prepared to think.... Full review

I dont know if its nave to feel this way, but it would be great if, over the course of watching the film, peoples feelings about Leland evolve. While the audience may not come to forgive Leland for his crime, it is Hoges hope that they will walk away with at least a better understanding of the tragedyand the vulnerability of youth. ... Full Review

But it is safe to assume that Leland is somewhat alienated from both his parents. ´Why´ is the operative word here since this movie spends the better of its time trying to come up with a competent answer to why a crime was committed without having one to begin with. ... Full Review

The film's best scenes take place in the prison library, as Pearl grills Leland.....Hoge carefully undermines Pearl from the start....The United States of Leland hooks the audience with the promise of seeing this frail, sweet boy turn vicious thug by film's end.....In a film that insists on the ingenuous purity of its murderous protagonist, these moments are enormously suggestive....In the film's smartest touch, Leland understands this well before Pearl himself does..... ... Full Review

The film gives the viewer a worry....Gosling made it plausible....He was weird, listened to the wrong music, fell in with that bad crowd.... ... Full Review

The United States of Leland is an admirable first film from Matt Hoge.....that's troubling in such a dramatic film.....The United States of Leland is a highly dramatic film that ultimately collapses under its own weight.....the cast delivers solid, rich performances.....The performances are good all around..... ... Full Review

In an unusually ambitious project, the History Channel announced that it plans to adapt Howard Zinn's seminal 1980 book A People's History of the United States as a two-hour film with archival footage and readings by Bruce Springsteen, Eddie Vedder... ... Full Article

Throughout my life it's been a source of contention, me being Jewish and all, that I could do Christmas down to the goose and chestnut stuffing as good and maybe even better than my non-Jewish compadres. ... Full Article

MovieMaker Staff | Published February 3, 2007 In celebration of our 11th year and the role that the Hands-on Pages newsletter has played in our success--throughout 2004, per reader request, we will be including several special "Things I've Learned" editions... ... Full Article

Dan Dunne seems to sleepwalk through his days. A frustrated novelist, he's doing time as a middle school teacher in urban America, ignoring the curriculum, teaching history through the prism of Chinese philosophy and a simplistic grasp of facts. ... Full Article

Puppy-dog-eyed Leland P Fitzgerald (Ryan Gosling) seems to be the kindest, calmest teenager imaginable.Yet we meet this gentle soul in a juvenile detention centre. ... Full Article

The suburbs seethe with young, broken, and furious souls. At least, this is the idea you might get from recent independent movies, earnestly charting teen terrors and traumas in order to point out the sickness of the culture that produces... ... Full Article