And 5 That Sucked...
5. Leland P. Fitzgerald - The United States Of Leland
In this tedious Indie picture, backed by a tremendous supporting cast of wasted talents, including the likes of Don Cheadle, Kevin Spacey (who is also a producer on the film), Michelle Williams, Kerry Washington, and Michael Pena, Gosling embraces the role of a mentally ill teenager, and we follow his experiences in a juvenile detention center. Gosling's performance is badly shackled by the film's writing, and though he should probably be commended for any positives that did come out in the performance, they are few and far between. The character, like the film, is horrifically over-written, and completely out of touch with reality. There is no scope for Gosling to actually act the role, or offer any of the subtle nuances that characterise his most successful roles, so it feels like one of his least personal performances, and as a result is poor overall. Again, I should re-iterate the fact that the story is pointless, and really didn't need to be told. The final product is messy, and everyone in the excellent cast underperforms. Luckily, the film is mostly forgotten nowadays, and is only brought up when people like me feel the need to bash Gosling's early catalog, or show how far he has come at least.