Shattered Glass

Rating:
Summary: An Under Appreciated Yet Powerful Film
Review: SHATTERED GLASS (a VERY appropriately titled biography) is a must see film for those who want to know what can and does happen in the media reporting of news. Based on a true story dating back to 1998, Director Billy Ray has managed to tell the story of how Stephen Glass smooth talked and buffaloed his way through the unsuspecting staff of The New Republic magazine manufacturing false stories that were printed as fact. In telling this scandal Director Ray paces this quasi-documentary with such finesse that even knowing the final outcome the audience rides along with the tale with relentless speed. The cast is uniformly excellent with Hayden Christensen wholly credible in his living lies as Stephen Glass. This is a fine example of ensemble acting with such actors as Peter Sarsgaard, Chloe Sivigny, Steve Zahn, and Hank Azaria demonstrating that they are exceptional talents. Though the message of the movie - the corruption that occurs in the media which is not always fact checked before releasing it to the information hungry American public - is not a pretty one, the resolution of the film demonstrates that ultimately the truth will out, given the honesty of good reporters. Excellent film, highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: A Test of Integrity & Character
Review: Almost ten years ago, the Oscar nominated 'Quiz Show' examined the true story of Columbia University professor Charles Van Doren as a contestant on a quiz show. The show's popularity skyrocketed because of his appeal to viewers, so the producers began feeding him the answers before each show to guarantee his stay. His integrity was tested. He failed on all counts.

Now the wonderful (and underexposed) 'Shattered Glass' examines the story of Stephen Glass, former associate editor of the political magazine New Republic who in his mid 20's managed to gain prestige by reporting stories that turned out to be fabricated. Like Charles Van Doren, Stephen was surrounded by colleagues and friends who admired him, adored him and believed the best in him. Unlike Charles Van Doren, Stephen had no circle of business executives that encouraged him to uphold a facade. Stephen created and adamantly held to his own lies. New Republic Executive Editor Charles Lane begins to investigate Stephen's articles and discovers that a substantial number of the facts are not only unsubstantiated but are downright lies. When Charles corners & confronts Stephen, we witness one of the most intriguing contrasts of character that's been seen on-screen in recent years.

'Shattered Glass' is a superb character study that I highly recommend. It shows how we in America too often close our eyes to someone's transgressions simply because of our admiration for that person. Kudos to the entire cast for its outstanding performances particularly those of Hayden Christensen and Peter Sarsgaard.

Rating:
Summary: Not knowing when to say when....
Review: I recently saw this movie on a trans-Atlantic flight. I felt the movie was one worthwhile in watching. Ignore the obvious eye candy... its there... its there in all films. Pay attention to the story. The story is of a young man... aching to be liked... to be loved... to be admired and... to be worshiped. Basically, he began to dig his whole... and by the time he was caught... it was too late...and much too deep to find a way to climb out.

Other than loosing his job at the New Republic, I really do not feel he was punished. But, perhaps that is just me.

Tells a great story... I recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: Unwatchable, self-important dreck
Review: You know you're in for trouble when a movie starts with title cards in lieu of exposition through dialogue and action. With the red flags up, I charged ahead into this movie anyway, because I was on an airplane and had finished my book earlier than I had expected.

Hayden Christianson is the charming rogue (Glass) at the center of the story, and we meet him early. We know he's a charming rogue because the movie tells us that. To look at him, he appears to be a little boy playing dress-up, with all the charisma and charm of a bottle of salad dressing. His acting (excuse me, this is an Important Movie, so he is Acting) doesn't convey that he is a charming rogue. But the other characters tell us how funny and charming he is, so I guess he really is. The other characters are hip and young--indeed, so hip and young that it's hard to tell them apart. Some of the scenes where they're all in a meeting room are unintentially hilarious, where the camera pans across generic white GQ-looking extra after generic white GQ-looking extra, and you wonder if they didn't just splice in the same guy again. And what's up with all the white people? For a progressive Democratic magazine, the New Republic is made out to look as WASPy as it gets, with nothing but earnest young white people as far as the eye can see.

While Christianson is making up stories and passing them off as news, because he's so charming that no one fact checks him, there are internal politics at his magazine, with a Stodgy Old Editor not wanting to break tradition and run photos with stories. Boo! Hiss! You can tell he's evil, or at least skewing that way, because the script says so.

For this movie to work, you have to believe that Christianson is capable of snowing an entire magazine staff; that he is so affable, charming and audacious that he can do anything he wants and circumvent the normal safeguards at the publication. The problem is that Christianson can't Act this way; he seems more like a befuddled high school intern who wandered out of the mailroom than the type of person who could get away with what he did.

Some stuff happens. Overly-dramatic, self-important stuff that wastes good actors like Hank Azaria. Christianson helps teach a journalism class, which allows him to vocalize his inner dialogue. That's great filmmaking, to move the camera slowly around a roomful of students while he drones on, trying to Act while the extras playing the students try to look enraptured. You may want to go make a sandwich or something. Don't bother pausing.

The magazine finds out he lied. They have a big meeting where the Stodgy Old Editor breaks the news to everyone. Before the meeting, the Wise Old Receptionist, the Yoda of the film, tells him that if they only had photos in the magazine, Glass couldn't have gotten away with his fictional stories. The Stodgy Old Editor is thus magically transformed into the Bad Guy, and Glass is off the hook for his breach of journalistic ethics. Plus, we reinforce one of the hoariest movie cliches, which is that of the Wise Old Secretary/Receptionist. Yawn.

Then there's an ending, with plenty of opportunities for more Acting, and it's over. Finally.

Run, do not walk, from this movie. If you must see it, rent it before you decide to buy it.

Rating:
Summary: Hayden Christsen: The future is his
Review: Hayden Christensen brings an excitement to a movie that no other young actor is capable of doing. His performance is electrofying and this is one of my favorite movies of all time. I highly recommend it. I saw it at the movies and loved it, and now can't wait for it to come out on DVD so I can see it over and over again. I strongly urge viewers to purchase it and view it immeiately.

Rating:
Summary: An essential film on journalism and morality - compelling!
Review: When Billy Ray's new film, Shattered Glass, begins we hear the enthusiastic narration of the film's quasi-title character, Stephen Glass (Hayden Christensen), who is happily relaying his feelings about journalism and how an article with substance may not necessarily be as great as an article with character. This sounds quaint and noble coming from the lanky Glass, who enters the film doing one of the things that he seems to do best - observing things around him. He enters his alma mater to speak to a journalism class about the subject, and we also learn that he is a contributing writer to George, Rolling Stone, and the associate editor of The New Republic. He is a celebrity of the first order in the world of budding journalists - he may be the fresh fish of The New Republic, but he can own an audience. This rapt audience of students becomes the frame that flashes back to the chronological beginning of Shattered Glass, and the movie begins its steady course on the emotional and ethical rollercoaster that it becomes.

As of early 1998, Glass is an esteemed writer on the staff of The New Republic. Sure, the staff's median age is 26, but he's the youngest and also a favorite of editor Michael Kelly (Hank Azaria). His co-workers view him as a superior even with their age or seniority above him, and in fact: he is. Glass can weave a story like no one else on the staff, and it shows in the meetings where he tantalizes his coworkers with details of his next article. Things take a turn, though, and Kelly is fired with Glass's rival, Chuck Lane (Sarsgaard) stepping in. When Lane hears of the Republic's boss's intent of firing Kelly, he immediately steps back and doesn't want to be a part of it for he considers Kelly a friend. When Kelly is fired, though, Glass and his co-workers see Lane as a villain while the audience has seen what an upstanding character he really is.

Things go downhill with Lane as editor, and not with the magazine. Glass publishes an article called "Hack Heaven" that gets much attention from an online magazine, but not exactly the kind of attention the Republic would want. Company names don't check out, sources are unreachable, and the seeds of doubt about Glass' integrity are sewn.. We don't see things from Glass's point of view, but rather from the perspective of the online mag trying to expose him and Lane, who wants to believe Glass but is beginning to lose faith. Christensen becomes truly amazing here. He's pushed into a corner with the investigation of his article's integrity, but he maintains that it all checks out. He never gives anything away in his slow unraveling. Sarsgaard really stands out, though, and an Oscar nom for Supporting Actor had better come his way. The emotional spiral of the movie is really seen through him, and he alternates between doubt, despair, and anger with such nuance that he practically owns the movie.

Sarsgaard would own the movie if Christensen didn't make Glass such a likeable character, even as he is eventually revealed for what he truly is. Glass is the kind of movie that puts your mind and your stomach in a pretzel, but not in a Usual Suspects or Vanilla Sky way. The mind-bending of the film exists on a purely emotional and ethical level, and it's refreshing, considering the manipulative junk that is out most of the time (*cough* Runaway Jury *cough*). Movies like Jury present its narrative with little motivation or reason behind its characters, but Glass lets it all fly with such supported precision, it's quite a feat. We never learn much about Stephen Glass's history, but there's a ponit behind it - the movie isn't about why he did it, but what he did and how. From trailers and even my review, it may become obvious exactly what Glass did, but the depth and the impact of his actions aren't really revealed until the end of the film.

The facts in the movie certainly take twists and turns that make it seem more typical, but the 'facts' don't really drive the narrative - the characters do. Sarsgaard makes a speech to another character toward the end of the film all about journalistic integrity and ethical duty, and in any other movie it would come off as silly and pretentious. In Glass, it gets to the heart of it all. Even though Stephen Glass knew what words could do and used it to his advantage in the film, director Billy Ray's script wastes not one word. Movies like this are a gift to its actors, and whatever the results in February, Christensen has topped himself as Kevin Kline's son in Life as a House and given a (so-far) career-defining performance that shows great promise. Sarsgaard has had a few bit parts in the past, but he blasts onto the screen here with an incredibly intense role.

Shattered Glass dissects issues of morality and ethics in the field of journalism in a way that some movies could never even begin to touch. It's not about actions or plot twists or MacGuffins, but it's about changes in the movie's characters that can never really be predicted. Glass is a thriller in the best sense of the word, because it gets its thrills from things that should be tapped into more often. Shattered Glass is a step above the rest of the 'thrillers' with which it will be unfortunately placed, not to mention, it’s about as great as anything you'll see all year. Despite all the lies you'll hear in the course of the movie, that's not one. Shattered Glass is a great step forward for human drama on film, and one of the best movies made about journalism.

Rating:
Summary: Is Truth is a Secondary Value to Liberals?
Review: Shattered Glass is a must see movie. It is based on the true story of Stephen Glass who conned the editors of The New Republic into publishing his lies. Hayden Christensen aptly portrays the ambitious young man who never hesitated to betray his friends and the honorable profession of journalism. Chloe Sevigny is splendid as the enabling assistant editor, Caitlin Avey, who places friendship above her duty. E.M. Forster once bragged that if he ever had to choose between betraying his country and betraying his friend, he hoped he would betray his country. Avey apparently decided to do something similar regarding Glass. She and her cohorts flagrantly fail to do even simple and basic fact checking. The real outrage is that Glass' fraudulent behavior did not occur just once, but repeatedly over a number of years. One normally should expect even better from a minor player in the news and analysis business---and The New Republic is admittedly among the very best.

One observes Stephen Glass manipulate everyone around him. This is relatively easy because he's surrounded by liberals in their twenties who may tacitly, if not even explicitly, believe that everything is relative and objective truth doesn't really exist. Sappy feelings are of paramount importance. Looking the other way is encouraged as long as it furthers a liberal political and cultural agenda. Needless to add, eventually Glass pushes his luck. The story is fairly straight forward and of course we already know the ending. Still, we are entranced by the unfolding events.

Chuck Lane (Peter Sarsgaard) and Publisher Marty Peretz (Ted Kotcheff) seem to be cut far too much slack by Director Billy Ray. Isn't it fair to suspect that these men preferred to pretend everything was fine as long as Glass slandered Republicans? Shouldn't we take it for granted that he would have been stopped far earlier had his target been liberal Democrats? The film did not delve adequately into this awkward area of concern. At the very end, we sadly learn that Glass may soon become a practicing attorney. Apparently, being an admitted liar is not always enough to disqualify someone from practicing law. Shattered Glass will enrage anyone with even a shred of moral decency. The ability to control your temper will be mandatory. Stephen Glass may not be a murderer, but Dante would have certainly considered him worthy of a low rung in hell.

Rating:
Summary: Powerful, Outstanding Performances
Review: Find "Shattered Glass." It is an important movie albeit one that works within a small scale. It also boasts several of the year's best acting performances.

Stephen Glass (Hayden Christensen) is a young hotshot writer at The New Republic in the late 1990's. The New Republic may not have a large circulation-80,000-but everyone of those 80,000 does something important in Washington. Or so TNR's staff thinks. As the movie tells you several times, "The New Republic" is inflight reading on Air Force One.

Glass is adored by everyone, well almost everyone, in TNR's offices. He compliments the secretaries on their choices in lipstick, he has heart-to-hearts with the bright young women on the staff, he serves as a mentor to the interns. And he produces. Story after story, expose after expose, Glass never seems to stop working at his job--except of course at night, when he attends Georgetown Law.

He is able to produce these great stories because he has one fabulous source for all of them: himself. He simply fabricates facts, people, settings. Although The New Republic supposedly has a prestigious fact checking structure, he slips through the (many) cracks.

Finally, a reporter at an Internet site runs into a number of holes as he prepares a follow-up to one of Glass's stories. Then the house of cards begins to fall...Glass's previous editor, Michael KElly (Hank Azaria), had had a suspicion or two but cared so much for the young reporter that he rid himself of his doubts. But his new editor, Chuck Lane (Peter Saasgard), is forced to delve deeper...and deeper...and deeper.

Great performances run through this movie. Hayden Christensen inhabits this character so thoroughly that you can feel him curling up in your office and trying to "pitch" you. Peter Saasgard is AMAZING--he plays a low key, slow burning, honorable individual with a restrained passion. Chloe Sevigny is great as a brilliant reporter who is blindsided by her loyalty to Glass.

This movie also depicts office politics as well as any movie that I've ever seen. And not just the politics in a newsroom but in most American offices. There's always the unpopular boss, the kid who made a few mistakes that everyone thinks should be excused, the blindly loyal co-workers.

One flaw in the movie: Ray lets The New Republic off the hook for their culpability in this matter. There have been journalists like Glass around for many years-their system failed as much as he did.

Still it is a riveting, well-acted movie.

Rating:
Summary: Seek it out...
Review: To call "Shattered Glass" a small gem is an insult; a more apt description is to call it the best overlooked movie of the season. It is showing mainly in arts cinemas, but not too long ago you could see movies this intelligent and well written in multi plexes too. It is a shame that this movie isn't getting a huge amount of attention, because it has one of the best ensemble casts I've seen this year, headed by Hayden Christianson but also featuring remarkable work by Peter Saarsgard, Hank Azaria, and Steve Zahn, to name a few. The script is smart and the pacing of the movie is perfect, with a thump thump soundtrack that races like the hearts of the main characters, as they uncover the truth that is around every corner.

There is a moral to this story, but no preaching is employed to make the point. Depending on your point of view, you may either sympathize with the protagonist of the movie as being a sad sign of the times, or find him repulsive as an example of the narcissistic excesses of our culture. One might say he is emblematic of an age where people want huge success without knowing (or necessarily having) what it takes to achieve it.

A great movie. Seek it out.

Rating:
Summary: Never suspend constructive disbelief
Review: SHATTERED GLASS re-creates several days in May 1998 when the disconcertingly young writer phenom for the "New Republic", Stephen Glass (Hayden Christensen), was revealed as a fraud when it was discovered by a rival publication that a recent piece Glass had written on a convention of computer hackers was completely bogus. (As the audience learns at the film's end, 27 of 41 of Stephen's articles for the NR, the "in-flight magazine on Air Force One", were wholly or partially "cooked".)

Rather than painting Glass as overtly malicious, this film is more sympathetic. It depicts Stephen as so craving the affection and respect of his colleagues at the NR that he'd go to any extreme to contribute a sensational story for the magazine. It left me wondering what Stephen's home life was like while growing up. However, in contrast to last year's hit CATCH ME IF YOU CAN wherein the featured scam artist was presented almost as a folk hero, at least the creators of SHATTERED GLASS had the honesty to portray its protagonist for the pathetic puppy he apparently was. Christensen was eminently believable as Glass - I despised the character from the very start.

The "hero" of this film, if there can be said to be one, is the NR's new managing editor, Chuck Lane (Peter Sarsgaard), who must determine the extent of Stephen's lying ways without alienating the rest of the young staff writers, who already consider him to be the toady of the Big Boss. Sarsgaard's Lane did a splendid job of causing me to suspend my cynicism for a brief moment and actually believe that the NR's collective mea culpa at the finale was actually brought on by a hiccup of journalistic integrity than the fact of getting caught. Funny, though, how the Big Boss wasn't shown as being moved one way or the other. Where was the righteous indignation from that corner?

For me, SHATTERED GLASS was more of an opportunity for incredulous fascination than entertainment. I suspect that a viewer's appreciation of the film would be enhanced by regular reading of the New Republic, something I've not done even once. (I'm therefore not burdened with the sobriquet "intellectual".)

And, as we learn before the final credits roll, the real-life Stephen Glass has since finished law school. Isn't that just too precious for words?