"Sometimes the most important stuff goes away; goes away so bad, it's like it was never even there to begin with." These words from the mouth of Leland P. Fitzgerald hang in the air as the screen fades to black, and the audience is plunged into silence. Leland is the protagonist of a recently-released drama entitled The United States of Leland. He is an enigmatic character that perhaps nobody will ever fully understand. With the depth of his thoughts and insights, Leland may be the only one who can comprehend the meaning behind his own actions. First-time writer and director Mathew Ryan Hoge created the foundation for Leland from his personal experiences as a juvenile detention instructor.

As a result, Hoge is able to take his audience on a journey through the eyes of a character that is not often considered: the murderer. The movie's plot, character development, music and acting combine to create an environment that will evoke deep emotions and stimulate the mind to its fullest potential.

The movie tells the story of a seemingly ordinary student who commits a heinous crime, changing, along with his own, the lives of his and his victim's family forever. The uncertain cause of the crime is investigated with one constant: the pursuit of "why"?

The movie's all-star cast is led by Don Cheadle (Ocean's Eleven) who plays Pearl, a juvenile detention teacher who plans to write a book tackling that very question. Defying his superior's orders, Pearl uses one on one counseling sessions with Leland to discover why an apparently normal kid becomes a killer. Ryan Gosling (The Believer) produces an Oscar-worthy performance in his portrayal of the troubled, 16-year old Leland, who murders his ex-girlfriend's retarded brother. Kevin Spacey (American Beauty) along with producing this film co-stars as Leland's father, Albert Fitzgerald, a world-renowned author.

While Albert Fitzgerald turns out to be one of the movie's most intriguing personalities, numerous other characters help to give further dimension to the film. Chris Klein (American Pie) plays Allen, the live-in boyfriend of Julie Pollard (Michelle Williams, Dawson's Creek). Julie and Becky Pollard (Jena Malone, Donnie Darko) are the two sisters of Ryan's victim. The Pollard family is completed by Ann Magnuson (Panic Room) as Mrs. Pollard and Martin Donovan (Insomnia), who turns in an inspiring performance in the role of Mr. Harry Pollard. Acting opposite Spacey, Lena Olin (Hollywood Homicide) plays another key role as Mrs. Fitzgerald, Leland's mother and Albert's separated wife.

Through intimate scenes with these characters, and extensive dialogue and narration from Leland, this film delves into the depths of human thoughts, emotions and motives while focusing on the public's obsession with the idea of "why"? "I know what they want from me," Leland explains to Pearl in one of the more powerful scenes in the movie. "They want a reason, something to tie up with a little bow and bury in the backyard. Bury it down so deep, it's like it never happened. They want me to say how I'm so sorry, and it was my mom's fault. Or maybe it was my dad's fault or it happened because of T.V. or movies or some junk like that. Or maybe I blame some girl..."

Separate from what "they" want, Leland gives more than most people can comprehend. The thoughts he relates are frightening and hopeful at the same time. His mistakes in logic, if interpreted the right way, turn out to be pearls of wisdoms. The movie itself can, at points, be confusing, with the sequence of scenes jumping back and forth in time. As a result, it is difficult to tell whether a scene is taking place in the present or the past. In extreme cases, it is hard to understand the relevance of certain scenes to the overall theme of the movie.

Although the narration helps greatly in grasping Leland's character, it doesn't help in terms of comprehending what is visually happening at points in the movie. The plot comes together nicely in the end, but the movie takes several viewings before one can fully understand all of its nuances. Still, this is what makes the film so great and why it is imperative to see it more than once. Each time a new idea will present itself and the better the viewer will understand the depth of each character. This movie is not for the faint of heart, but is definitely worth watching more than once. Warning: deep, philosophical conversations will result from the viewing of this movie. Are you ready?