Shattered
Glass" taught me two things:
1. The fascinating story of Stephen Glass, a
journalist for The New Republic magazine who
fabricated most of hist stories
and
2. That George Lucas is a REALLY bad director.
How did I learn the second item? Hayden
Christensen, Anakin Skywalker himself plays
Glass and while it is not a brilliant
performance, it is excellent. Although his
performance in "Star Wars Episode II" may be one
of the worst in film history, it doesn't seem to
be his fault anymore.
I'm keeping this review quick because I don't
want to spoil what happens for those who aren't
familiar with Glass. I will say that it is a
great film that deserved more recognition than
it got, and that Peter Sarsgaard, who plays
Glass' editor Chuck Lane, deserved an Oscar for
his outstanding work here.
Another aspect of the film that is worthy of
note is the shift of protagonist. Glass starts
off as the protagonist, a nice guy who's funny
and charming, and we can't help but like him and
hate Lane, the evil commanding editor. But as
the truth is exposed and we learn who the real
hero here is, the effect is unlike anything I
have ever seen in a film before. Add that to the
fact that this a true story based on events less
than a decade old, and this film seems
startlingly modern and exciting. It's impossible
to NOT connect with the movie in some way.
"Shattered Glass" is one of the best films
you've never seen. Go see it. Now.
© Written by
Jacob Hall
TC Candler's Comment
n/a
Richard
Propes' Comment
I have to
agree with Jacob that this is a surprisingly
strong performance from Hayden Christensen in a
film that plays with unexpected power and
excitement. Sarsgaard is even more brilliant,
and the film is one of those films we call
"hidden gems."
