maybe people do like have the devil around more than god . maybe we like that safety net of a reason while make a mistake only to blame the devil for the pain and suffering in the world . there be so much hardship and spill out into the mass and that it be difficult to not see the sadness on the face of all you pass . leland p. fitzgerald understand all of this while he know that maybe everything would not be ok and and maybe help someone leave this earth to avoid the pain their life have wait for them be a risk he need to take for someone he love . credit go to screenwriter or director matthew ryan hoge for create a lyrical prose about two suburban family who have cross path in good time and bad . just look at the cast of almost all a and b list actor show that the material really resonate with it audience . emotion do not need to be wear on one sleeve to exist . sometimes all we want to do be end the suffering . ryan gosling brings an understated performance to the table here that encompass the inwardness of his character leland emotion . he be a very passionate and intelligent young man and cut through the b of life and know what he see and accept the worse with the good . the film be a catharsis for the soul of those affect by the horrific event of leland kill his ex girlfriend mentally challenge brother . in the confused mind of this teen and he go into the incident know full well what he be go to do and he be go to stop the pain that he see everywhere and but most of all on the face of young ryan pollard . almost immediately he realize that he have make a mistake and that maybe play god be not a job he have be put on earth to do . whether or not this be true will soon be put to debate a the murder begin a chain of event and which finally bring mean to many people life a they wake up to the tangential fragility of life . this boy have open their eye to both sorrow and rebirth . with haunt ballad sing by former sunny day real estate frontman jeremy enigk and the movie go through a journey of small vignette of two family live in the aftermath of tragedy . the acting be superb throughout with special mention to a few . for someone who play the naïve lug in most film and chris klein actually do well with much the same material here and yet also with an evolution into a man of purpose . his aloofness be effective when utilize in the right part and similar to his success in election and and i be interested to see if director will be allow him to expand his talent and sink his teeth into something more substantial . jena malone be effective in much the same effect a well and play the role of troubled youth a she have in donnie darko and life a a house while don cheadle be a stalwart of professionalism give u a different take on the compassionate therapist from the one he do in manic while and martin donovan be brilliant a the grieve father try to keep his wit together and eventually realize he must keep his family from fall apart as well . also and it be great see the beautiful sherilyn fenn in a small but important role . when tragedy hit and people band together to get through it all . a leland astutely point out at one point and you see men and woman help others out and hug when they see the pain and suffering surround them and but after a couple of day everything go back to normal . cheadle character extrapolate the optimistic viewpoint that at least we get a glimpse of people true nature of want to help and be good to each other and only to be shoot back at with the retort and well at least we do during tragedy . maybe we do not want to think we be good natured because it do make u feel we should be good all the time and and that when bad and must have in turn mean to be so . by be flaw we allow ourselves to rebound and try again . leland mistake let him see the love he have for those close to him as well a open the eye of others to wake up and not let their loved one drift any further from them . one can not focus on the sadness of others when they must first come to grip with their own . hoge have craft a parable for this and a truly effective piece of film make with hopefully many more to come .