Glass
Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan
Written by: M. Night Shyamalan
Starring: James McAvoy, Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, Sarah Paulson, Anya Taylor-Joy, Spencer Treat Clark, Charlayne Woodard, Luke Kirby, Adam David Thompson
Drama/Mystery/Sci-Fi - 129 min Reviewed by Charlie Juhl on 16 Jan 2019
Written by: M. Night Shyamalan
Starring: James McAvoy, Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, Sarah Paulson, Anya Taylor-Joy, Spencer Treat Clark, Charlayne Woodard, Luke Kirby, Adam David Thompson
Drama/Mystery/Sci-Fi - 129 min Reviewed by Charlie Juhl on 16 Jan 2019
For 20 years, M. Night Shyamalan has been one of the more adventurous directors to go see because you never knew what he was going to throw at you this time. He traffics in acute originality, even if it backfires into a complete mess - looking at you The Last Airbender. The Sixth Sense, The Village, and Lady in the Water occupy various ends on the spectrum of revelatory cinema, but you cannot deny they all at least take a leap toward something new. One of the tricks he played on his audience with 2017’s Split is we did not know we were watching a movie set in a universe Shyamalan created in a previous film, Unbreakable. Glass is now the third movie in this world and draws on existing characters, melding Unbreakable and Split into one to see what may come of combining a vigilante strong-man, a fragile super-mind, and a personality pinwheel with a penchant for bloodlust.
Rather than create three disparate story threads with intermittent interactions between his three leads, Shyamalan devises a way to bring them together, apply some pressure, and observe how they charge and retreat toward one another. This exercise is more mental than one first imagines when they picture superheroes and villains locked up in a cage together. Dr. Ellie Staple (Sarah Paulson, Ocean’s 8) believes she can cure the three peculiar test subjects. Before each are sent their separate ways to either languish in prison for the rest of their lives or undergo invasive neurological tests and surgeries, she will cure them of their beliefs. Calmly, and even with a hint of reverence as she recognizes the rare opportunity staring back at her, Dr. Staple says, “I specialize in those who think they are superheroes. More and more people have this delusion.”
Rather than create three disparate story threads with intermittent interactions between his three leads, Shyamalan devises a way to bring them together, apply some pressure, and observe how they charge and retreat toward one another. This exercise is more mental than one first imagines when they picture superheroes and villains locked up in a cage together. Dr. Ellie Staple (Sarah Paulson, Ocean’s 8) believes she can cure the three peculiar test subjects. Before each are sent their separate ways to either languish in prison for the rest of their lives or undergo invasive neurological tests and surgeries, she will cure them of their beliefs. Calmly, and even with a hint of reverence as she recognizes the rare opportunity staring back at her, Dr. Staple says, “I specialize in those who think they are superheroes. More and more people have this delusion.”
David Dunn (Bruce Willis, Death Wish) believes he is a superhero who is out there taking care of the local Philadelphia citizenry, protecting the innocent, and throttling ne’er-do-wells when they step out of line - revenge actions the police department either cannot or are too inept to do themselves. Through a series of careful one-on-one sessions and finally, a group session between the men who want nothing more than to tear each other apart, Dr. Staple attempts to convince David he is no superhero. It’s in his mind. There are practical explanations for all of his so-called feats. The same goes for Elijah Price aka Mr. Glass (Samuel L. Jackson, Avengers: Infinity War).
The mental institution has housed Mr. Glass since David Dunn put him away at the end of Unbreakable. Dr. Staple has less course of action to convince Glass he is no evil mastermind because not only will his therapy consist of watching her disprove David’s abilities, but he is also heavily sedated and nobody can be too sure what, if anything, he takes in and comprehends. As for the man audiences got to know most recently, Kevin (James McAvoy, Atomic Blonde), he and his 23 other personalities believe they are an evolved being beyond mere human. When the scariest of the bunch emerges, The Beast, he can bend steel and climb up walls. Dr. Staple has her work cut out for her, but unfortunately, so does the audience.
Spending two hours locked up in a mental institution is at times as riveting as it sounds. We know a confrontation or some sort of finale is coming; therefore, biding time with the guys in their cells is frustrating. The highlight is the pleasure of watching James McAvoy switch channels between Kevin’s multiple personalities - the highlights being Hedwig the nine year-old and the conservative Ms. Patricia. McAvoy had more scenes to show off with in Split, but there is no shortage of delights when he filters through very distinct personalities. Bruce Willis, on the other hand, is as morose and lifeless as ever. David Dunn is already reserved as he attempts to blend in with his surroundings to avoid any and all notice, but Willis has nothing to do here. Shyamalan’s camera work livens up the atmosphere a bit with invasive close-ups on the men’s faces as Dr. Staple maneuvers them from self-doubt and into rediscovery.
Both Unbreakable and Split are required viewing before Glass. Supporting characters will add no weight if you are not familiar with their backstory, especially Anya Taylor-Joy as Casey, our Split protagonist. The third act contains Shyamalan’s version of answers and surprises, yet feels slapdash and haphazard, as if hastily pasted on top of the film’s suspense the director wove throughout the slower-paced, saggier middle. The end is a sprint after springing up from laying immobile on the couch all day - this sort of frenetic activity may be best after a warm-up trot. Exploring the gray area between heroes and villains is a worthy pursuit, nobody is all altruistic or all evil all the time. In Kevin’s case, only 10 of his 24 personalities harbor malign intentions. Yet this theme lacks closure. So does the characters’ search for their place. Mr. Glass, specifically, seeks revenge upon the world which has told him time and again has no use for him. It’s a shame even a film with his name as the title couldn’t find room for him either.
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