The Glass man

The glass man is one of those cursed films that remain blocked for many years due to problems of legal conflicts. Curiously, even when we discover it nine years after its first worldwide screening at the Frighfest festival in 2011, this film has lost nothing of its strength and especially in the difficult period we are currently going through following the global pandemic linked to the coronavirus, a force of irony, proves to be perfectly topical. It is interesting to see that British cinema proves to be particularly effective when it doesn't try to compete with big Hollywood productions and doesn't constantly try to impress viewers with waves of outrageous special effects or far-fetched plots that only try to put forward a sparkling cast that is only good at hiding the many flaws of artificial scenarios full of various stereotypes.

Written and directed by Cristian Solimeno (This Is What It Is (2007) (2007), I made this for you (2018)) The Glass man shows us what can happen to each of us if we let ourselves slide to the wrong side of the order of things and lack discernment. Martin Pyrite (Andy Nyman) seems to have the life everyone dreams of, a beautiful house, a beautiful wife (Neve Campbell from the cult saga Scream) and a job that allows him to look good. But appearances are deceptive and Martin is deeply in debt and he has just been fired with a file showing his many worries that led to his dismissal. His life gets even worse when his wife thinks he is cheating on him with one of his co-workers. Similarly, his credit cards are rejected and that's nothing compared to the arrival in his life of a debt collector who will turn his life into a nightmare overnight.

It is interesting to see that in spite of his very low financial means, the writer and director Cristian Solimeno gives us a gripping thriller that constantly tries to remain realistic even the mental state of the main character Martin Pyrite deteriorates and makes him see people who don't exist whether it is a woman attacked in the street or that strange debt collector whose existence we end up wondering whether he really exists or not. Wouldn't it be Martin Pyrite's very conscience that brought him to the point of committing the unforgivable act of settling his debts?

As much as the scenario keeps its promises and allows us to live a real waking nightmare that may remind some people of a real episode of the cult series Twilight Zone, the staging proves to be lacking in creativity. We thus too often have the impression of finding ourselves in front of a luxurious TV movie in which Andy Nyman and Neve Campbell are certainly credible but cannot save this movie completely. There remains a film that can be watched thanks to the presence of the all too rare and superb Neve Campbell, thanks also to a rather successful script, too bad that the direction turns out to be so disappointing.

The Glass Man (2011)
Written and directed by Cristian Solimeno
Produced by Bruce Melhuish, Cristian Solimeno
Starring Andy Nyman, James Cosmo, Neve Campbell, Brett Allen, Gary Aylett, John Barrett, Polly Brindle, Lorraine Burroughs, Lauren Cuthbertson
Music by Oli Newman
Cinematography: Bruce Melhuish
Edited by Cristian Solimeno
Distributed by Tigermoth Moving Pictures, Central City Media
Release date: December 7 2020 (UK)
Running time: 108 minutes

Viewed on December 5, 2020 (press screener)

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