Mark Reviews: The United States of Leland

 Let's set the stage:

I have NO idea what this movie is about... I turn it on... it opens with a voiceover from a very young ryan gosling... then it's a kid laying on the ground stabbed to death....

ok... yeah... attention grabbed.

It goes on to be a tale of a truly emotionally scarred kid who's made a terrible mistake.  It also follows a prison teacher (Don Chealde who I've yet to see in anything that i didn't love him in!) who wants to get to the core of Leland (Ryan Gosling).

Along the way we also meet Leland's ex girlfriend who i recognized from Donnie Darko, who's sister is Michelle Williams, who all live in a house together with Michelle's boyfriend Chris Kline.... now at the beginning, NONE OF THAT MAKES SENSE... but the director did a good job of jumping around in a timeline introducing all the characters and how they relate to the storyline.

If you're in the mood to watch something heavy with not a whole lot of laughs but with some great acting, and great story definitely check it out.