The United States of Leland

Director Matthew Ryan Hoge's second feature film tells the story Leland P Fitzgerald (Gosling) a nice but detached adolescent who horrifically stabs his ex-girlfriend's mentally handicapped brother 19 times. Everyone wants to know why but it is only when the soft spoken teenager comes into contact with a teacher (Cheadle) at his remand centre that he begins to open up to. The cast is eclectic, ranging from teen stars such as Michelle Williams (Dawson's Creek) and Chris Klein - the Keanu of his generation - to the mesmerising Ryan Gosling and Jena Malone, one of the most accomplished contemporary child-actresses-turned-grownup. Kevin Spacey too is extremely effective as the astute, cold and equally detached father. Not a perfect film but kind of wonderful just the same.