Director: Cristian Solimeno
Starring: Andy Nyman, James Cosmo, Neve Campbell.
Running time: 103 minutes.
Certificate: TBC
Synopsis: After losing his job, Martin (Nyman) finds himself falling into a pit of irreconcilable debt. And even worse, he has failed to tell his wife (Campbell) that they are close to losing everything. But as Martin is on the brink, a mysterious bailiff arrives at his door, offering to wipe Martin’s debt in exchange for help with a secret errand. But is this just another situation that Martin is unable to control?
Despite premiering at 2011’s FrightFest, THE GLASS MAN is not a horror film. At least, not in the traditional sense. It does not set out to scare you as other films might, with the threat of death, supernatural entities, or whatever else may fill your imagination. That is not to say that THE GLASS MAN isn’t about fear. In fact, fear is at the film’s very core: pure unadulterated fear, the kind that can cause cracks in one’s personality, relationships, and state of mind. And though THE GLASS MAN may not be a traditional horror, it features some truly horrific things. Moments that will surpass anything else seen at this year’s FrighFest, and will remain with audiences for a long time to come.
There are other memorable aspects to the film; it isn’t all doom and gloom. It is sharp and sweetly funny, rich in emotional depth and its characters wonderfully observed. But most of all – aside from all the fear, horror and everything else – THE GLASS MAN is built on spectacular performances, not least of all, from its leading man Andy Nyman.
Nyman’s love for horror and such the like is well documented (even co-writing the West End’s brilliantly–dark ‘Ghost Stories’), and until now his best known appearances have come as supporting roles in cult fare (SEVERANCE and DEAD SET, for instance). But here, Nyman proves he can act, really act. His portrayal of desperate Martin is touching and heartfelt, and much credit must also go to director-writer Cristian Solimeno for providing Nyman with quiet, emotive moments. Martin’s gradual inner-breakdown is handled with subtlety and patience. As the film progresses and Martin’s descent intensifies, both actor and director remain restrained, allowing the full extent of the situation to reveal itself slowly and with precision.
Nyman’s is not the only performance of note, as everyone involved plays it pitch-perfectly. As the mysterious debt collector-cum-guardian angel Pecco, James Cosmo is terrifying and hilarious in equal measure. It is difficult to ascertain just where he stands: one moment he is sympathetic and supportive of Martin, the next abusive and demeaning. Neve Campbell is also effective as Martin’s poshington wife Julie, whom he desperately tries to protect from the truth and repercussions of his actions. Her screen time is limited, but she perfectly represents the charming and blessed life Martin is trying to save.
None of this would be possible, of course, without the stellar script from Solimeno (who also offers a stand-out performance as Martin’s school friend Toby). To speak too candidly off the script would reveal too much, and what a great disservice that would be to such a powerful and moving narrative. Needless to say, the writing is well conceived, allowing some of the finer details to carry astonishing impact (such as Martin’s early brush with a potential mugger), and its bigger moments held back until they are able to effectively manipulate our relationship with Martin and Pecco.
Perhaps THE GLASS MAN is a horror after all, but one that has not been seen before. Sure, it borrows conventions from established material, but in there lies is a very unique thing. It is uncomfortably human, from Nyman’s naturalistic performance to its core theme: a fear for what could feasibly happen to any one of us. It is about the loss of our material things, the lives we work to assimilate and enjoy, the comforts that we greatly value. What would such loss do to a person? And how might one rebuild their life afterwards? It’s possible that for some of us, the cracks would be too damaging to ever fix, and THE GLASS MAN plays into those fears expertly. It is a horror that threatens our real lives, not just our imaginations.
THE GLASS MAN arrive in cinemas later this year.
