Hayden
Christensen stars as Stephen Glass,
a staff writer for the respected current events and
policy magazine
The New Republic and a freelance feature writer for
Rolling Stone Magazine, among others. By the mid-90s, Glass' articles had turned him into one of the
most sought-after young journalists
in Washington
D.C. but a bizarre chain of events suddenly stopped his career
in its tracks.
CRITIQUE
I knew about Stephen
Glass before seeing the film but not exactly what he did. If you
don't know him, get ready for a compelling story about one of the
biggest cons in journalism. Shattered Glass, written and
directed by Billy Ray, tracks the later period when Stephen Glass
wrote for The New Republic. The script places the
characters and action mainly in the magazine's offices because
many interesting things happen there. As a writer, Ray outlines
the somewhat complex story of Glass' actions with clarity and
purpose. He doesn't make scenes confusing and keeps the level of
understanding in balance. Most importantly, Ray makes the story
compelling to watch, aided in part by telling it through the words
of Stephen Glass.
Yet the script
falters a little bit in terms of describing the supporting
characters, specifically those played by
Chloë Sevigny, Hank
Azaria and Melanie Lynskey. I would've liked to know more about
them but I understand the film tells a different story. Otherwise,
the script is solid and filled with details about the events. What
gives the film life are the performances of the actors. Hayden
Christensen plays the role of Glass pretty straight, he does a
good job displaying both an annoying and trusting behavior.
Stealing the show, however, is Peter Sarsgaard. He gives a
dead-pan and commanding performance are Glass' new editor, Chuck
Lane. He gets some really good moments in the film's final thirty
minutes. The supporting actors also do a really good job,
especially Sevigny, Azaria, and Steve Zahn in a small supporting
role.
I don't think it
would be very wise to spoil to you, the reader, about what really
happens in the film, but believe me it's interesting to follow if
you have an open mind. Billy Ray directs his script very well,
plus the film is nicely edited and photographed. Shattered
Glass is smart and compelling, and therefore is highly
recommended.
THE VIDEO
Lions Gate Films presents
Shattered Glass in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. Colors look
quite nice and are generally well-saturated. The print is not in
the best condition as a number of specks and dirt appear in
numerous scenes. Detail looks good, however, and sharpness is
fine. Black levels and dark tones are not all that deep and
consistent, and the presentation looks a tiny bit soft at times.
I didn't notice any compression artifacts and grain shows up in
only a few areas. This presentation doesn't look great, but the
concerns shouldn't affect the viewing experience.
THE AUDIO
Lions Gate Films presents
Shattered Glass in English 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound.
Channel separation is good as the front speakers clearly emit
dialogue that's easy to understand. The surrounds reinforce
Mychael Danna's score nicely and the sound effects can be heard
just fine through the rear speakers. This is a mainly
audio-driven film as there are no songs or major effects, but
the presentation represents the material just fine. In that
regard, the transfer sounds good.
THE EXTRAS
Oddly, the
packaging doesn't mention the audio commentary by
writer/director Billy Ray and former New Republic editor Chuck
Lane. This is a really informative track. These two guys
have good chemistry and know what to talk about. Ray points out
dramatizations of specific events and the filmmaking process,
such as writing the script, working with the actors and crew.
Lane offers great background details and sometimes describes his
feelings of certain moments. The commentary flows well, is
informative, and most important of all, the insights are
revealing and interesting. All in all, this is a highly
recommended track, perhaps one of the best tracks in a long
time.
The other extra is
a "60 Minutes" Interview with Stephen Glass (12:37) that
should answer many questions viewers might have about Glass'
motives and reasons behind his actions. The segment recaps the
events so that might feel repetitive if you've just seen the
film, but overall this is a really nice companion piece to the
film. And that's it for extras, there's not even a trailer.
You can
select to view the film with optional English, French and Spanish subtitles. The
94-minute feature is organized into
twenty-four chapters. The disc comes in an Amaray keepcase, but
no paper insert is included.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The film is compelling
and interesting to watch, and the performances are all good,
especially Sarsgaard. Video/audio is fine, and the limited
supplemental features are very interesting and insightful. For those with an open
mind, Shattered Glass comes highly recommended.
