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 The
Glass House
It's
the official start of (Leelee) Sobieski Season with the opening
of The Glass House and another film, Joy Ride, due shortly. It's
reminiscent of the Summer of Del Toro last year. Benicio
was in everything, and everywhere you looked. And as with
that manly thespian of height, we too, gleefully embrace this
young girly powerhouse...
Glass
House is a wonderful intelligent thriller; hardly a "oh
as if," or "that is so wicked retarded"
in the whole film. You know what I mean, it's when you're yelling
at the screen because the characters do completely stupid things
and walk around like stoonads opening the wrong door, telling
the enemy their plans to escape, contact police etc...etc...
Not
in The Glass House. The characters are 3 dimensional and react
as anyone in the situation would. Okay, there are a couple of
just silly scenes, but more great ones to keep you guessing and
at the edge of your seat throughout, so those few faux pas are
forgiven.
The
story goes two pre-adults, Ruby and Rhett Baker, are orphaned
because their loving parents have had a terrible car accident.
They are guardianed over to "the closest friends" of
the recently departed, the Glasses. Old chums, and neighbors the
Baker couple apparently were willing to entrust their children
lives to.
Ruby
and Rhett move from their small suburb in the California San Fernando
Valley, to the isolated hills of happening Malibu. And  right
from the get go Ruby (Leelee Sobieski) Baker has a strange uneasy
feeling brewing in regards to the happy Glass household. Call
it a hunch, or all the concrete evidence she comes across. The
younger brother is blissfully dis-atttached more concerned about
his Playstation and such childish interests.
You
know that old saying nothing is ever what it seems? Well, the
Glasses are extreme examples of this cliché. Erin (a ominous
Diane Lane), the wife, is a successful doctor. She's in charge
of the pain department. You know, where they store all that yummy
morphine, and Demerol...The husband, Terry ("never trust
a man with a girls name" Stellan Skarsgård) is a successful
car service. He's a tad into his lifestyle, gallivanting from
premiere to premiere; switching between any number of his fancy
brand name, and expensive if you have a bad month, cars...
Simply
chilling.
Stellan
Skarsgård is attractive in a perpetual bad guy-just-a-hair-less-manly-man-than-Liam- Neeson
way. He looks like he'd make a great drinking colleague. Shots
of Kettle One and old-time Swedish folk songs abounding. He's
excellent, per usual, here.
Diane Lane, the actress who you know, you just don't know you
know, is perfection. I was creeped to the marrow.
Leelee
Sobieski, aside from being a near complete match of Helen Hunt
DNA, is a fine actress. She's grown up before the viewer's eyes
and other than that uncanny, near disturbing, resemblance to HH,
is a pleasure to watch. I am looking forward to Joy Ride due in
a couple of weeks. She's a subtle comfortable actress I believe
could handle most any role well.
The
Glass House is great for a few chills and sharp turns. The actors
are well cast and the story (aside from that oh-so-Hollywood-ending
they just HAD to ad) is not just agreeable but entertaining. Sure,
you kind of know where the stories headed right on, but trust
me, there's enough mystery to keep you intrigued. Enjoy.
Snack
Recommendation: Calamari and Dominos® Pizza
Starring:
Leelee Sobieski, Diane Lane, Stellan Skarsgård, Trevor Morgan,
Bruce Dern, Rita Wilson and Michael O'Keefe.
Directed by: Daniel Sackheim
Official
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