Glass - Review

Even by Unbreakable, writer-director M. Night Shaymalan's films had become synonymous with a twist ending. In fact, The Sixth Sense arguably began the current *SPOILER WARNING* culture we have now, albeit at a time when social media was in its infancy.
However with his 13th feature film Split, he pulled off his greatest trick. Revealing at the film's conclusion that James McAvoy's Kevin Wendell Crumb existed within the Unbreakable universe and it was a secret, stealth sequel to the film setting up more possibilities than Kevin had personalities.
Unbreakable is one of the finest superhero movies (coming at a time before the genre would see its resurgence through X-Men, Spider-Man and the MCU) and the best movie *about* comic books ever made.
The prospect of seeing this expanded universe of Bruce Willis's David Dunn and Samuel L. Jackson's Elijah Price share the screen with Hedwig, Barry, Dennis, Patricia, The Beast et all is a tantalising prospect.
Therefore it would be fair to say that Glass shatters those expectations as easily as Mr. Glass's brittle bones. Shaymalan does not deliver his version of Avengers Infinity War but instead gives us a superhero version of One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest as new character Dr. Ellie Staple (the always terrific Sarah Paulson) forces the captured trio to face the possibility that their superhuman powers are simply in their mind. A result of trauma coupled with an over-exposure to comic book culture which has come to oversaturate the world.
It is very pleasing to see Bruce Willis deliver his best performance in years. In fact, one could go as far to say that his last great performance was Unbreakable back in 2001 but it is good to know that he can still turn it on when he gives a damn about the project and not just in it for the paycheck.
Samuel L. Jackson is also on fine form but spends much of the first act in a rather comatose state but soon gets the opportunity to start monologuing before too long.
However the real star of the show, once again, is James McAvoy. Having spent time with the characters in the first movie, his skill and craft has been honed even more that the audience can know instantly tell which of the main characters within Kevin are emerging each time just by his body language. It is an incredible sight to behold and if the world was a just and fair place, this is the type of performance that should be considered when it comes to Awards season. No one else has done anything like what McAvoy has done with a character(s) over these two movies.
Yet the multiple/split personality is perhaps where Glass ultimately loses its superpowers as the film struggles to settle on a tone, changing almost from scene to scene as quickly as Kevin's personalities come into the light. Although titled Glass, it is very much a Split sequel and the sheer energy of McAvoy seems at odds with the quiet and stillness of the other two characters. The film's pacing is languid and more in keeping with the slow burn of Unbreakable but starts with a bang and builds to a third act "showdown" that is full of the traditional twists and turns you would expect from this filmmaker but in a way that is so bold and unexpected that it will undoubtedly Split opinions, pardon the pun.
While it might not quite shatter the glass ceiling of the perfect superhero trilogy, Glass is a fascinating and thrilling analysis of comic book culture and the way we view "heroes".

3 stars

Ocean's 8 - review

Ocean’s 8 is a prime example of the perfect con. The unsuspecting punter is sucked in to the film, entertained and astonished by the array of talent on show and it is only once they have left the cinema that they realise they’ve been had.
The plot holes start to appear and you begin to over-analyse everything you’ve just witnessed but sometimes you can just accept it and admire the sheer audacity of the crew involved in stealing 110 minutes of your time and your heart.
Here, unlike the infamous Ghostbusters reboot, a group of women have seamlessly and effortlessly stolen a franchise from the men and the audience will have no complaints.
At no point during the film are you left thinking, “I wish there were more men in this film”. In fact any time a male character was introduced, it was like “Meh”... and not just because one of those men was James Corden!
If anything, it would have been nice to just spend more time getting to know the team as some of the characters are criminally underserved by the script.
Of the seven members of the crew (yes, seven. We’ll get to why it is called Ocean’s Eight in a minute), here is a quick ranking of them based on screen time and impression made:

1. Sandra Bullock
2. Cate Blanchett
3. Sarah Paulson
4. Rihanna
5. Helena Bonham Carter
6. Awkwafina
7. Mindy Kaling

Yes, the film might pass the Bechdel Test with flying colours and Rihanna sinks the memory of Battleship but one can’t help but wish that more time had been spent introducing the characters and scenes of them interacting as a group.
This is an odd request because the film does take its time in getting through the first act before the heist begins and a lot of that is on the shoulders of writer/director Gary Ross.
Ross is probably best described as similar to Ron Howard, “a safe pair of hands”. His films come in one time, on budget and meet expectations but he is not really known for a particular visual style or flair.
This is something that Steven Soderbergh (director of the Ocean’s trilogy) has in spades and brought to Ocean’s Eleven in particular, giving it a pace and polish that allowed it to zip through exposition effortlessly and introduce characters quickly and with charm and hutzpah.
It is what Eight is ultimately lacking to give it some extra energy and help raise the stakes because the biggest problem the film has is that the stakes never feel all that high. It never feels as though the outcome of the heist is ever in jeopardy.
The film doesn’t need the “getting revenge on the former boyfriend” subplot and could easily have been reworked as a plot about getting even with a former female partner-in-crime and it would have worked just as well.
I know that Debbie Ocean has been planning the job for 5 years, 3 months, 12 days or whatever but in that time the filmmakers could have added a bit more polish to the script or editing.
Of course that is not to say that there are no diamonds in the rough. Quite the opposite as there are elements that shine bright like a diamond (Rihanna reference), brighter than the Toussaint necklace that is the prime mark of the Met Ball heist.
Anne Hathaway is delightfully ditzy as movie star Daphne Kluger who is hosting the Met Ball; the shock realisation of how good Sandra Bullock is at speaking German; the delight of creating a subplot in your head that Bullock was the woman who plays off star-crossed lovers Blanchett and Paulson in a sequel to Carol; and a whole five stars just to the costume designer for Cate Blanchett who is dressed like the goddess she is in every single frame.
For those of you good at maths, you will notice a slight discrepancy between the title of the film and the number of people in the crew. This is one con that won’t take a genius to work out given how the film plays out and certain aspects of the promotional campaign.
Ocean’s 8 tagline is “Every con has its pros” and this perfectly encapsulates the end result. Just like a diamond, it has flaws but you’ll be too dazzled by its beauty to care all that much.

3 stars