 "Completely shatters my recollection..." | 2009-11-04 |
| - Reviewed By User: ANCOMAI0I7LVG |
I saw this movie back in 03 and really liked it. My wife found in dreadfully boring but I remember being pretty engrossed and I walked away really enjoying myself. It was a smart and provocative look at a field that I am very intrigued in (journalism has always been a strong dream of mine). What's funny is that years have gone by since I've seen this film, and up until last week my recollection has been that this was a good film with some stellar performances but that it was not a film I needed to see again. I was entertained, nothing more. I watched it again with some friends though and found myself blown away by how powerfully controlled this film really is.
This film is remarkably explosive.
This film tells the mesmerizing story of Stephen Glass, a journalist who managed to deceive his way to the top, concocting false stories that finally caught up to him when a online reporter and a suspicious editor start to crack down on him. As Stephen's world crumbles in around him he realizes that there is no hiding from the fall, but no one acquainted with Stephen could even imagine how devastating that fall was going to be.
I really have to give props to everyone involved, especially Billy Ray, the films writer and director. The sharp screenplay is surprisingly deep and informative, and the marvelous way Ray creates a tone very reminiscent of a political thriller keeps the film an object of suspense. My second viewing really made this apparent to me. You watch the film on pins and needles waiting for the fall out, and when it comes it just creates a tidal-wave of emotional impact.
Not what I expected.
Taking great direction from Ray is a stellar cast that includes some of the most underused and underrated actors in independent cinema. I am a huge fan of Chloe Sevigny, and have boasted her `Boys Don't Cry' performance as one of the greatest supporting performances of all time (and I still stand by that statement). She is stunning in every sense of the word here, just milking her natural melancholia for all it's worth. Hank Azaria (a more famed name in the cast) is natural and supremely believable as the respected Michael Kelly. I normally am not a huge fan, but he works magic here. Melanie Lynskey is one of those superb supporting actresses who can't seem to catch a break. Sharing a film debut with Kate Winslet, you'd think she would have soared to stardom (and Oscardom) as well, but she is rather obscure. Here she is her quirky and likable self. Steve Zhan is another actor who shines more times than not, and here in another example of the talent that he rarely gets recognized for.
But in the end this is a showdown between two men, Hayden Christensen and Peter Sarsgaard. Christensen is remarkable here, really sinking into Glass and giving him a tense sense of reality. This is the best he has ever been (which isn't saying a lot since he is generally underwhelming). Sarsgaard is OUTSTANDING here. This is not my favorite performance by the man, but it is one of the best supporting roles of the past decade (goes to show you what I think of his BEST work, which I will review next). He just simmers on ever frame with this ever-building understanding of his circumstances. When I mentioned that this film is `remarkably explosive' I was referring to the dynamics that come from Sarsgaard's transformation, for it is his characters gradual grasp of the situation that make for the most explosive of climax's.
His Oscar snub is disgusting.
In the end I highly, highly recommend this film. I will give you a word of caution; if you are not into brooding character studies then this will bore you. Like I mentioned, my wife loathed it, and I will also mention that out of the group of friends I watched this with last week, only one other person walked away with my exact sentiments. It is a film that has an audience, and if you are privileged to be in that audience then you will discover something truly rewarding. |
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 "True story about a reporter who could only write fiction" | 2009-09-19 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1J5TC13BSPA2M |
"Shattered Glass" is an intriguing little sleeper that works as your typical arthouse/indie with several large doses of imagination. The plot details a reporter who works for a distingushed News magazine called "The New Republic" that is the magazine that is circulated to Air Force One. He is considered somewhat brilliant and the film begins with his perspective on being a Journalist and the world around him. Sympathies are with him but it's clear that the guy is a strange one. He seems to always be involved in outrageous stories and repeats himself often with lines about his work and does it suffice. Hayden Christensen plays the reporter, Stephen Glass as something of a cold fish. Perhaps, that's appropiate and while he is effective at times, at other times he just irritates, very much like he did as Darth Vader in the Star Wars prequels.
Eventually Glass is found out by his new editor(Peter Sarsgaard) who discovers that the reporter is a pathological liar and a nutcase. The film has an interesting narrative beginning with Glass adressing a High School class about Journalism being prided over by a former English Teacher. This structure remains with the film throughout untill this too appears to be a ruse and only within Glass' mind.
The film is ably presented and the story is certainly of interest with some strong performances by Hank Azaria as the former editor of The New Republic and his replacement editor,Peter Sarsgaard, who both deliver the film's most naturalistic performances. A problem with the rest of the cast is seemingly everyone else is ridiculously underwritten. Characters are introduced and dropped off without notice. Most appear interchangeable and there is no real attempt to add to these individuals. A point in the film that springs to mind is when a rival magazine(Forbes) begins to crack down on an article by Glass, the characters from this are just dropped off without any thought. It's also odd to see a familiar actress like Rosario Dawson wasted in such a small, thankless role in these scenes.
Another unfortunate aspect is that the film is overloaded with a bombastic dramatic score that seems to dwarf the scope of the picture. Clearly, a smaller story like this would have benefited from a much more naturalistic approach but that unfortunately does not happen.
Overall, this is certainly an interesting curio-piece about a fascinating true account of a troubled individual. It's well directed and has a good pace but clearly could have used some more finesse to keep it afloat. Give it a glance or two. |
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| ""Are you mad at me?" One of my favorite films." | 2009-07-21 |
| - Reviewed By kapota |
I don't know what put me on to this film, since it didn't get a lot of publicity or distribution as far as I know, but I saw it and it's one of the few films I can watch once a week, and still find new things in.
The story is pretty basic: it recounts the precipitous fall from grace of someone who got to the top by acting unethically - in Glass's case, by fabricating persons, quotes and events while he worked as a journalist for The New Republic. The story is well-paced and the conclusion is satisfying.
But the real juice of "Shattered Glass" is in the performances given by its cast - most notably, by Hayden Christenson as Glass (this is the only film I've ever seen him in, and if your impression of his acting ability came from a Star Wars film, I think you're in for a surprise), Peter Sarsgaard as Chuck Lane, the editor who discovers Glass' fabrications, and Hank Azaria as Michael Kelly, Glass' first boss at TNR.
In particular, there is a scene between Glass and Lane in Lane's office as they're on a conference call with the editors of Forbes Digital, which wants to do a companion piece on Glass's most recent story about a teenaged computer hacker and is having difficulty (to say the least)locating the persons Glass named in his article. Just watch Sarsgaard's face and body language during that scene. He is brilliant.
And Christensen IS Glass, a on-the-surface-harmless-puppy-dog manipulator of people, who constantly asks people out of nowhere whether they're "mad" at him in order to throw them off-balance or put them on the emotional defensive whenever he smells a threat to his carefully-spun world. When I watch Christensen's Glass sweat and squirm as that world inevitably unravels beyond repair, I can feel it too. Check it out.
This is well worth seeing.
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| "Excellent Movie" | 2009-07-05 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2JJRZ5B3QNE90 |
| This movie doesn't get every detail right about TNR's responsibility for letting Glass get away with what he did. But, especially for a movie, it is amazingly historically accurate. And, it is wonderfully written, wonderfully acted, and just a great movie. |
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| "Exceptionally interesting" | 2009-06-16 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1X054KUYG5V |
The Bottom Line:
An excellent character piece that develops into a slow-burn thriller, Shattered Glass not only features recorded history's sole compelling performance by Hayden Christiansen, but showcases a fine cast of young actors in a fascinating piece of filmmaking that almost never takes a wrong step; even those uninterested in journalism will find much to treasure here.
3.5/4 |
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| "An eye opener for future journalists!" | 2008-11-23 |
| - Reviewed By User: AYT4G1OIF6T3T |
| A movie people need to watch at least twice to truly grasp the rise and fall of Stephen Glass. At first, I felt Hayden was just a terrible actor portraying Glass, however, after doing some personal research on Glass himself, I found out he is a really dull individual...so Hayden nailed the part. The movie is quite riveting and I have watched it at least ten times since it was purchased last month. It's definitely worth every penny!! |
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