Glassland has been on my radar for a long time. In my old pre-children life I know that we would have got to the cinema for it for sure, as the second I heard the jist of it it sounded appealing. I am a fan of grim, gritty movies, English directors Ken Loach, Mike Leigh and Shane Meadows are some examples of my favourite film makers, and I do believe that this part of the world does grim in a way that Hollywood just simply could even begin to capture.
The 6.1 review did cause mild surprise, however I also note that a mere 245 individuals managed to brave the movie. Not everybody would say this type of raw drama is their cup of tea, I get that. I have friends and acquaintances who would have zero interest in watching a movie that dealt with pain, misery and social deprivation. Many prefer watching something that leaves them happy and unchallenged. I respect that, but don't share the view.
Glassland looks at a mother-son relationship that has been flipped on its' head - John (Jack Reynor) the son has to mind his alcoholic shambles of a mother Jean (Toni Collette), and does so through hard work, maturity and self sacrifice in the face of apathy and an unswerving appetite for destruction. It's not pretty. Already a fan of Toni Collette, I now have serious respect for her. This was far from a handy role, and was hardly chosen because it might enhance her career. Must have been a tough, emotionally challenging role to play but she carries it off with aplomb. Although her Dublin accent was not perfect, such was the overall quality of her entirely plausible performance in capturing the essence of this trouble lady that any shortcomings in pronunciation felt trivial. She is truly magnificent.
Reynor also picks up from where he left off after his brilliant acting in What Richard Did, and offered another reminder that we will, in all likelihood, be seeing plenty more of him in the coming years.
Honestly, not an awful lot happens. It is not a barrel of laughs. But if you enjoy convincing social realism with no frills direction and strong characters inhabiting a recession era Ireland in a way that is both authentic and sombre, then there is much to admire in Glassland
The 6.1 review did cause mild surprise, however I also note that a mere 245 individuals managed to brave the movie. Not everybody would say this type of raw drama is their cup of tea, I get that. I have friends and acquaintances who would have zero interest in watching a movie that dealt with pain, misery and social deprivation. Many prefer watching something that leaves them happy and unchallenged. I respect that, but don't share the view.
Glassland looks at a mother-son relationship that has been flipped on its' head - John (Jack Reynor) the son has to mind his alcoholic shambles of a mother Jean (Toni Collette), and does so through hard work, maturity and self sacrifice in the face of apathy and an unswerving appetite for destruction. It's not pretty. Already a fan of Toni Collette, I now have serious respect for her. This was far from a handy role, and was hardly chosen because it might enhance her career. Must have been a tough, emotionally challenging role to play but she carries it off with aplomb. Although her Dublin accent was not perfect, such was the overall quality of her entirely plausible performance in capturing the essence of this trouble lady that any shortcomings in pronunciation felt trivial. She is truly magnificent.
Reynor also picks up from where he left off after his brilliant acting in What Richard Did, and offered another reminder that we will, in all likelihood, be seeing plenty more of him in the coming years.
Honestly, not an awful lot happens. It is not a barrel of laughs. But if you enjoy convincing social realism with no frills direction and strong characters inhabiting a recession era Ireland in a way that is both authentic and sombre, then there is much to admire in Glassland