 The Glass Man had a fantastic cast and a decent if cliched premise, but only delivered on its promise in the middle third of the film. The rest of it was limp, disappointing build up and poorly-handled obvious ending. If it weren’t for the talent of Nyman and Cosmo, there’s be almost nothing to praise here at all. When I saw the cast list for writer/director Cristian Solimeno’s The Glass Man, I knew I had to give it a watch. Andy Nyman’s a very talented man and too rarely is he given the chance to carry a film with a lead role. James Cosmo is always brilliant, and Neve Campbell is Neve Campbell fer cryin’ out loud. Then I saw that it was first screened at Frightfest in 2011. I thought it was a typo, until I double-checked. This film has been in distribution hell for nine years. Nine years! I did a quick search and I couldn’t find anything on why it had taken so long for someone to snap it up. Having now watched the film, I think I can put forward a tentative hypothesis of my own… It’s not very good. Or at least, most of it isn’t very good. The Glass Man follows Nyman’s hapless schlub Martin Pyrite (I’ve just got the pun in that surname and I’m not impressed) as he struggles to cope in the aftermath of the recent financial crash. It’s 2011, remember, so the economic misery and horror haven’t quite sunk in yet, at least not for Martin’s peers. He works in a generically high-flying corporate job, but some recent undisclosed shenanigans have left him fired by his abusive boss (played with delicious evil sleaze by Don Warrington). He keeps this secret from his wife Julie (Campbell, with a very enjoyably plummy accent) but his troubles are just beginning – ruthless underworld debt collector Pecco (Cosmo) turns up on his doorstep one night to inform Martin that he’s inherited a debt from a junkie friend and that payment is due. Immediately. Pecco takes a liking to Martin though, and offers him a deal: come with him tonight, do a couple of jobs, and his debt will be wiped away. Otherwise… It’s a solid premise for a thriller. A good (if flawed) man, backed into a corner, forced into danger and made to commit unspeakable acts. What’s his breaking point? Will he turn the tables on his tormentor? Will he succumb to darkness? Perhaps not hugely original, but it’s what you do with it that matters. Sadly Solimeno fumbles at nearly every turn, right from the very beginning. It opens in the most cliched way possible – with the main character in bed, waking up and going about his routine. First we’re treated to riveting close up footage of Martin in bed as the credits play over it,. I’d never wondered what the inside of Andy Nyman’s nose looks like, but now that mystery’s solved. Then, as if the film suddenly remembers it’s supposed to be a thriller, we’re treated to a jump scare while Martin shaves – does it add anything? No. He doesn’t even cut himself shaving, which would at least be something happening. It’s just a nothing of a scene. That’s the biggest problem I had with The Glass Man – it’s full of scenes that just left me shrugging and thinking ‘ok, and?’. Stuff that doesn’t add anything, or that outstays its welcome long after establishing what they’re there for. It doesn’t help that the dialogue is so repetitive too. Perhaps that’s supposed to be symbolic of how Martin’s life is circling the drain? If so then sure, it’s clever, but it’s not interesting to watch. Things immediately pick up when Pecco walks into Martin’s life. Up to now there’s been nothing to suggest this is a thriller beyond Martin being bullied into handing his watch to a stranger, but here Solimeno starts to build real palpable tension as Pecco inspects Martin’s home for goods he can repossess, risking waking Julie. When the offer is made, it’s clear that poor Martin has no way out of it, it’s an offer he literally can’t refuse. And when their night gets underway, things really start to get interesting. This is where Solimeni grips you by the face and demands your attention. There’s an especially memorable sequence that, on paper, should be dull as the proverbial dishwater. Martin has dropped Pecco off for an unknown nefarious purpose and is waiting in his car when a traffic warden waves him off, so he drives around the block. Sounds simple, but with the camera in the passenger seat staring unflinchingly at Martin as he sweats and frets and mumbles for one long shot, it’s just superb. It gave me hope that the film had finally come into its own and it was all going to be a nice gripping thriller from here. Unfortunately it soon ground to a halt and never recovered, especially with the reveal of The Twist. I’m not going to spoil The Twist for you here, but suffice to say that as soon as it happens you’ll nod and roll your eyes and go ‘oh, yeah, this old chestnut, ok’. It’s well-worn ground, possibly the most obvious twist in this kind of film – and yet I didn’t see it coming. And that’s not because it wasn’t set up or seeded well; in retrospect it makes sense with some of the dialogue that happens earlier. Perhaps it didn’t occur to me because it was so obvious and I was holding out for more originality? From there it’s all boringly downhill to the ending, which once again serves to remind us that Mentally Ill People Are Dangerous And Will Kill You. Andy Nyman does a great job despite the material. He has to struggle to hold our attention through a tepid first act, then acts his face off throughout the rest of the film, even the boring bits and the obvious ending. He and James Cosmo have perfect chemistry together, the hard man and the soft man, the strong and the weak. Cosmo is great when throwing his weight around but it’s his subtlety and pathos that shine, in the quieter moments where the two bond. The surprise weakest link is Neve Campbell, who’s given nothing at all beyond one effective emotional scene and the chance to please her dialect coach. Such a waste of a talented actor. The film looks cheap, which works to its advantage during the part of the film where it’s actually being a thriller but just adds to the dullness elsewhere and makes it feel amateurish. In one scene the colour grade noticeably changes from cold to warm in the same shot, like they’re cranking up the slider while you watch. The sound mix is pretty poor too – clattering utensils and roaring traffic drown the dialogue out, which is pretty inexcusable from a professional. The Glass Man had a fantastic cast and a decent if cliched premise, but only delivered on its promise in the middle third of the film. The rest of it was limp, disappointing build up and poorly-handled obvious ending. If it weren’t for the talent of Nyman and Cosmo, there’s be almost nothing to praise here at all. It’s worth bearing in mind that it’s been a while since 2011, so hopefully Cristian Solimeno is getting better with every film he makes. Perhaps it’d best if he doesn’t return to thrillers for a while though. Review by Sam Kurd   |
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