By: debbie lynn elias
16 year old Leland P. Fitzgerald is a murderer, having brutally killed a young autistic boy, stabbing him some 20 times with a butcher knife. The son of a famous author, no one can understand what would possess a young man with his opportunities and potential to commit such a heinous crime. As he sits in juvenile hall awaiting trial, Leland is befriended by Pearl Madison, a teacher and aspiring writer, who engages Leland in countless interviews under the guise of understanding Leland’s mind, the trigger that set him off and the answer to the question, “Why?”. But the more Pearl questions Leland, who has an answer and explanation for everything he has done, the more Pearl smells money and decides to use Leland as the subject of a book.
Defying prison protocol, Pearl manages to secretly meet and “counsel” Leland. But as his questions become more pointed and delving, Leland’s own web of intrigue and despair deepens, providing an unsettling and disturbing look at the influences and individuals who factored into his crime. Was it being dumped by his girlfriend the night before the murder that sent him over the edge? Was it the fact his ex-girlfriend was the victim’s sister? Was it the aloofness and disinterest of Leland’s own parents? Or was it the disapproval of the girlfriend’s parents?
Intelligent in his own right, Leland soon begins to suspect Pearl is not what he seems to be and that helping Leland is not his primary focus. Becoming the aggressor and challenging Pearl at every turn, we soon see a dark side to Pearl not previously disclosed and one that itself, has moral repercussions. The more contentious the relationship the two becomes, the more the outside world becomes influenced by their respective actions giving rise to more violence as well as the potential for change by them and those around them.
Quickly proving to be one of the most talented newcomers of his generation, Ryan Gosling brings an effective sensitivity to Leland Fitzgerald that appears to taunt – and tear away at – the very moral fabric of our society and “respectable” sensibilities. Intently tacit and introspective, Gosling gives an unsettling understated performance that lingers long after the film’s end. First exploding onto the scene at Sundance 2000 with his portrayal of a Jewish Nazi-sympathizing skinhead in “The Believer”, Gosling proves to still be a festival favorite with his portrayal of Leland. Equally as powerful is Don Cheadle with an intensely riveting performance as Pearl Madison. Kevin Spacey, as the cold and indifferent Albert Fitzgerald, adds even more dimension to the film with razor-sharp delivery as cold and callous as his character, slicing through the heart at every turn. Supporting performances by Michelle Williams, Jan Malone and Chris Klein are also emotionally charged and affecting, intertwining and enhancing the moral dichotomy of the story.
Written and directed by Matthew Ryan Hoge, the script is not only profound, but incredibly tight, nuanced with subtleties and sub-plots that intersect and come together at all the right moments. Based on Hoge’s own experiences while working in the Los Angeles juvenile detention system, the work is insightful, challenging our perceptions of right and wrong, good and evil and the realities of the life in which we live. Essentially broken into two segments, the lives that are lived before the murder and the lives that are lived after, Hoge’s story unfolds with a gradual unsettling ease that fulfills its potential for optimism despite its dark focus.
James Glennon, cinematographer for “About Schmidt”, turns in another fine work here, giving a glossy appeal to the film that enhances the dichotomous and dark tones of the overall piece. Adding a silky slickness to Hoge’s unique visual subtley of having Leland winking different eyes with each interpretive perceptive change, editor Jeff Betancourt interweaves the multiple story arcs and keeps the film moving at a smooth steady pace.
Eloquent. Insightful. Thought provoking. Melodramatic. “The United States of Leland” will find you questioning some of your own choices in life and asking that penultimate question of “Why.”
Leland Fitzgerald: Ryan Gosling Pearl Madison: Don Cheadle Albert Fitzgerald: Kevin Spacey Marybeth Fitzgerald: Lena Olin Michelle Williams: Julie Pollard Jan Malone: Becky Pollard Chris Klein: Allen Harris
Written and Directed by Matthew Ryan Hoge. Rated R. (108 min)
