This shocking and disturbing indie drama from writer/director Matthew Ryan Hoge features an all-star cast: Ryan Gosling, Don Cheadle, Chris Klein, Jena Malone, Lena Olin, Sherilyn Fenn and Michelle Williams.
After seemingly ordinary 15-year-old Leland stuns his quiet suburban community with a chilling crime, he is sent to juvenile hall where he meets Pearl, a teacher and aspiring writer who dreams of making Leland’s compelling story into a book. As Pearl digs deeper into Leland’s life he uncovers a disturbing motive, forcing Pearl to examine his own morally questionable behaviour.
Nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival, this “indie portrait of the dark side of suburbia” (Entertainment Weekly) is sure to leave you stunned with its real-world depictions of violence and disorder.
For thoughts on The United States of Leland, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required:
Video Quality
The United States of Leland comes to Blu-Ray courtesy of Imprint Films with a digital AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1 that appears to be from an older scan in decent shape. This label is based out of Australia, but the disc will play in all Blu-Ray players including those in the United States. This film holds special interest for Ryan Gosling fans riding the high of Barbie and The Fall Guy, so we are glad to see it in HD on physical media.
The presentation maintains its naturally filmic 35mm appearance throughout which allows a fine amount of detail to fill the screen consistently. The grain can be thick but mostly avoids turning into digital noise or swarming the screen. The cinematography is very deliberate and remains stable without stuttering or flickering hampering things. The cool color palette is favorably saturated with the hues finding nuances within the reserved interiors. Skin tones are natural and consistent with subtle features easily observable in closeup. Highlights rarely fall victim to blooming, and black levels hold up for the most part with only a bit of crush and banding. There are some blemishes and other bits of print damage that could be cleaned up with a new scan in the future. We wish this was given a fresh pass, but it holds up well enough for those who want an HD copy.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray comes with both a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track and an LPCM 2.0 stereo track that translates this material without a hiccup. Dialogue remains clear even when characters tend to mumble, working in tandem with the background noises. The environmental effects and the score have a prominent presence in the track which never stumbles in terms of depth and nuance. The music guides the mood of the story as it comes through with exceptional fidelity. There is no major damage or age-related anomalies that encumber the sonic experience. There is nothing to complain about with this one. Optional English (HOH) subtitles are included for the feature film.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Film historian Scott Harrison provides an informative commentary track that finds him dropping some thoughtful insights about the place of this film in the cinematic landscape of the time, the importance of the soundtrack, the shot composition, the direction of Matthew Ryan Hoge, the themes of the narrative, and more.
- Theatrical Trailer: The two-and-a-half-minute trailer is provided here.
Final Thoughts
The United States of Leland puts the audience on guard from the very beginning with the announcement of a heinous crime, but it invites you to dig deeper into the character to determine if any insights can make sense of it. Ryan Gosling does a great job of bringing a layer of complexity to the titular character, and the ensemble that surrounds him is first-rate. The film shares many characteristics found in indie filmmaking from the early 2000s, yet it stands apart as one of the better examples of it. It can be a tough watch, but it is worth your time. Imprint Films has delivered a Blu-Ray featuring a good A/V presentation and a welcome new commentary track. If you are a fan of the performers, this should be on your list. Recommended
The United States of Leland is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Note #2: This release is an Australian import that can be played in Blu-Ray players worldwide.
Disclaimer: Imprint Films has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
