Director: Gerard Barrett
Cast: Jack Reynor, Toni Collette, Will Poulter, Michael Smiley
Certificate: 15
Running Time: 93 minutes
Following on in the steps of gritty realism dramas This Is England and Tyrannosaur comes Gerard Barrett‘s Glassland, a depressing glimpse into living with alcoholism.
Set in modern day Ireland, Jack Reynor stars as John, a quiet, almost shy, hardworking cab driver, saving every penny he earns to try to improve the living situation of himself and his mother. Stuck in a dilapidated house, their situation looks bleak, especially when you factor in his mother Jean’s (Collette) alcoholism. Driven by her hunger for drink, Jean disappears for days on end, leaving John to sit and worry about where she is. Desperate to help her, John contacts a local rehabilitation centre, but with sympathetic counselor Jim (Smiley) only able to house Jean for seven days, John’s only viable solution is to send her to a far more intense clinic – at the cost of €8,000. With no extra work available John risks his safety – and the safety of his job – and becomes involved in the underground, hidden world of human trafficking, clinging onto this last hope to save his mother from an early grave.
It’s clear from the beginning that John loves his mother dearly, with Reynor providing an endearing, believable and – at times – painful performance, but it’s also obvious that he can’t stand to be around her. An obvious loner, John is content ignoring the world, plugging in his headphones and avoiding conversation at every opportunity. However, he does come out of his shell whilst visiting his younger brother at his care home, treating him to a joyride around a local car park, a touching scene showing a brief moment of happiness in John’s life.
Back to reality and John comes to blows with Jean and her demons. Collette gives an outstanding performance, flipping uncontrollably between the tanked-up, bitter alcoholic her son hates, to a melancholy, lonely mother missing a connection with her family. Revealing the root of her drinking problem, the audience are given a glimpse into Jean’s pain, and the shame of disowning her youngest son. While it may seem that both characters are angry at each other, when they’re stripped down it’s a hatred of their pasts, their current situation and of the illness itself, a sad fact of life for many living in the UK today.
While the performances and dark, gloomy cinematography are both stunning, the film’s pacing and clarity could be improved. With the key nighttime taxi scenes (where we’re introduced to John’s second job) shot without the use of artificial light it’s difficult to understand what’s happening, especially with the lack of dialogue between characters. With that being said, this doesn’t take away from the power of the narrative – just make sure you’re paying attention.
Glassland is an emotional rollercoaster you desperately want to get off of but can’t seem to stop yourself from enjoying. Reynor shines as brave John, while Collette is, at times, almost terrifying. With inserts of sarcastic, black humour from Shane (Will Poulter), Barrett‘s direction keeps the depressing storyline on track, keeping his cards close to his chest, leaving Reynor‘s Jack on a seesaw between hope and losing everything.
Glassland is available digitally now, and is released on DVD from Monday 10th August.
