There's nothing new to say about this guy, is there? Every praise about his few good films has been sung and everything afterwards has become fodder for that depressing corner of online film culture that only likes talking smack about movies generally. So, is M. Night Shyamalan really back on track after a string of high-profile failures or was Split just an entertaining fluke? Now, I recognize that I'm probably in the minority opinion here; but, my answer is a resounding yes. What we're given is a tough film to love (albeit one that's endlessly intriguing nevertheless). In fact, I feel like I might have jumped the gun when I called Widows the least audience-friendly mainstream release of recent years. What it lacks in thrills it more than makes up for in ideas. Big ideas. Ideas that not everyone in the audience is going to be on board with. But, they're big, bold, and worthy of kudos for even diving into them.
Anyone reading this is most likely aware that the "realistic superhero movie" isn't much of a novelty these days. We've seen the Zack Snyder/Christopher Nolan cycle of the DC movies, Kick-Ass, Logan and even Shyamalan's own Unbreakable (which has been around for the better part of two decades); but, as much as I love all of those, I'd say Night has gotten the closest towards fully realizing this realist conceit. What few action scenes there are go for a more intimate, awkward and cluttered approach than the crowd-pleasing epic scale brawls common to the likes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Plus, this take on what superheroes and their stories mean in the broader cultural context is one I find fascinating due to its balanced levels of contempt and respect for the genre. It's taking material seriously as art rather than strictly as adaptation. Glass has the slick appearance of subtlety and grace even if its creative head honcho's artistic flourishes are anything but. Aside from all that pontifical weight, it's got some real directorial strength to brag about. It's methodically paced, imaginatively shot and the various narrative yarns are fairly well-balanced. There's a shot during the second act of Sam Jackson's eye that feels like nothing less than a clever tribute to John Frankenheimer's Seconds that I greatly appreciated among other wonderful references and homages.
Despite working at the top of his game for the first time in eons, some of M. Night's worst habits also crop up every now and then. Although, they're not prevalent enough to bring the whole show down. There's the spectre of schizophrenic tonal shifts and narratives that don't entirely add up have always loomed large over his body of work and this is no exception. If there's a weak link in the cast, I'm disappointed to say that it's Sarah Paulson. To be fair, her character is the worst written in the entire film; so, she's given almost nothing to work with; but, her flat affectations don't add anything to the proceedings and (intentionally or not) manages to make the stilted dialogue feel even more unnatural. Everyone else is thankfully operating in top gear. Once again, James McAvoy is the standout whenever's he's effortlessly switching back and forth between The Horde's various eccentric personalities and he's even given some effective comedic moments*. Samuel L. Jackson isn't afforded the level of screentime one would expect from the title; however, when he gets time in the sun during the climax, he really comes to play and his presence is magnetic. Of course, it's also nice to see a recent movie with Bruce Willis where he seems act like he actually wanted to be on set besides the paycheck.
When I think of Glass, I recall an idea once posited by the great Francois Truffaut: that a film being interesting is far more important than any perceived measure of quality. As much as I've dunked on Blumhouse over the years, I highly respect Jason Blum for being a sharp-witted businessman and the fact that he gave Shyamalan carte blanche to make a film only he could've made. Despite being all over the place in others respects, it stirkes a stable mix of the meditative moodiness of Unbreakable and the schlock sensibilities of Split (ditto for West Dylan Thordson's phantasmagorical score). It's built from the ground up to be a polarizing experience. When the absolutely bugnuts third act rolls around, you're either going to go along for the ride or you're going to instantly tune out and it'll bounce off you. It's the kind of thing that can spark hours upon hours of conversation about whether or not it even really works. Structuring the climatic entry in a trilogy to be deliberately unsatisfying or even downright puzzling is a bold choice that's not going to click with everyone. For now, I'm happy to say this is the most fascinating and out there work in the superhero genre since Logan (or hell maybe even Batman v Superman).
GLASS gets a...
KINO PAR EXCELLENCE out of TEN
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