Has anyone seen The United States of Leland? (1 Viewer)

I watch an incredible amount of films and this one of the best from the last decade. It came out in 2003 and was largely overlooked. Anyways, the Bukowksi element to this is undeniable.

I think everyone here who likes profound films would like this movie. I know Buk hated almost every film ever made (except gangster movies!) but I think he would have appreciated it.
 
Never heard of this one. What is the Bukowski element?



Googled it ... other fans say it's like Camus' 'The Stranger'... Is it?
 
Yes! I truly did remind me of The Stranger! I don't like to spoil movies for people (I don't even read the back of the DVD or the summaries on Netflix) but I will say the writer in it seems very much like Bukowski, and there is a part where Don Cheadle's character (who is a fan of the writer) grabs his books and they are stacked on top of a bunch of John Fante Books (Black Sparrow editions too), and, this may sound miniscule, there is a giant poster of the cover of West of Rome by John Fante.

I just loved this movie, a lot. I suppose the Bukowski connection is far-fetched, but I feel a kindship with anyone who is a Bukowski fan, and felt the need to tell anyone because it was so overlooked in 2003.
 
Welcome to the forum A of Hell. I just added it to my Netflix too. Kevin Spacey is in it with Ryan Gosling two very good actors, of course Don Cheadle too.
 
Okay, I saw it. The acting was great from Kevin Spacey, Ryan Gosling and especially Don Cheadle but the story had some very unbelievable aspect to it besides being a bummer. How did you get a Bukowski connection from this movie besides Don Cheadle liking very cheap wine?

Or did you just advertise the movie and move on?

It got 7.1 stars from IMDB only because of the stars in the movie.
 
I started this one, but gave up. Don Cheadle's the real deal, though. I heard a rumour a while back that he was set to play Miles Davis in a bio pic, which sent me into a tizzy, but nothing came of it.
 
Okay, I saw it. The acting was great from Kevin Spacey, Ryan Gosling and especially Don Cheadle but the story had some very unbelievable aspect to it besides being a bummer.

This thread described it as being likened to Camus' The Stranger. Camus' trademark is to highlight the absurdity of reality, so unbelieveable and depressing would seem to be on the menu for this one. The key here is whether the unbelieveable actually makes sense at the end of it all.
 
Okay, I saw it. The acting was great from Kevin Spacey, Ryan Gosling and especially Don Cheadle but the story had some very unbelievable aspect to it besides being a bummer. How did you get a Bukowski connection from this movie besides Don Cheadle liking very cheap wine?

Or did you just advertise the movie and move on?

It got 7.1 stars from IMDB only because of the stars in the movie.

What was unbelievable about it? And could you not see Spacey's character being likened to Buk? Anyways....I don't really care if you thought it was a bummer. Then it worked.
 
I don't care that you don't care that he doesn't care! because I don't care that you don't care that we don't care that the person in my basement has...uhhh.....tentacles and gills and....

wait, where was I?

right! we don't like a movie that you like. it's ok, you'll be fine. the people here didn't like Stones of Summer (not a movie, I know) and Synecdoche, New York, both of which I loved, but I didn't have a hissy. well, I did, but I didn't tell the people here about it!

so, what did we learn? don't love shit things. but if you do, don't tell people they hurt your feelings when they tell you they don't share your views on shit things.

and stop wearing trucker hats. please.
 
You didn't even have the attention span to finish it. This completely reveals who you are.

Buk sort of reminds me of Jesus. They both said some good things.....but, man, do I despise their followers.
 
You didn't even have the attention span to finish it. This completely reveals who you are.

Buk sort of reminds me of Jesus. They both said some good things.....but, man, do I despise their followers.

Yes, but unlike Jesus, we have real evidence that Buk actually existed. There is not one piece of evidence, contemporary to when jesus was supposed to have lived, that even mentions him.
 
You didn't even have the attention span to finish it. This completely reveals who you are.

yup, you nailed me, brother. good work. all the countless hours spent in the cafes "observing" people over your latte has really paid off. the human condition holds no mysteries for you.

look what you've done. you've made me snarky. I hate being snarky. I'm supposed to be the nice one. mjp is the smart one and hank solo is the sexy one. now here you are fucking up the whole balance.

nice work. I hope you're happy.
 
I thought I was the delicate, pretty one?

Do they have latte in Alaska? He's probably up there in one of those unfinished plywood sheds, drinking a mug of microwaved hot dog water while enjoying unlimited Netflix streaming on his Xbox360.

But that's just a guess.
 
yeah, there is a massive posted of John Fante's West of Rome in Don Cheadle's apartment. Then about 30 seconds later, he walks to his bookcase, and there are clearly some Buk books on his shelf. Clearly someone involved in this movie liked Buk and Fante and planted these things in the film. Nice to see.
 

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