The Glass Castle - Review
Director: Destin Daniel Cretton
Cast: Brie Larson, Woody Harrelson, Naomi Watts
In 2013, Short Term 12, a drama centring around Grace (Brie Larson), a supervisor of a group home for troubled teenagers, was a huge critical success. Particular praise was awarded to Larson's captivating performance and Destin Daniel Cretton's direction. Four years later and Larson and Cretton have reunited on The Glass Castle, and with an Oscar win under the former's belt, they hope to duplicate the same winning formula of their first collaboration.
Jeanette Walls (Brie Larson) is a successful journalist living in New York with her handsome and wealthy finance in a lavish apartment. However, a chance encounter forces her to confront her unconventional and nomadic 70s childhood, dictated by her alcoholic father, Rex (Woody Harrelson).
Based on the best-selling memoir of the same name by Jeanette Walls, The Glass Castle presented many opportunities for an incredible narrative to be weaved from a plethora of remarkable stories from Walls' unique upbringing. The task of condensing an entire childhood into a two hour film, highlighting and dramatising the most compelling moments, must have been an arduous undertaking - and the result is sadly lacklustre, laced with repetitive character beats and scenes that fail to push the story forward. The film's conclusion is also a little too tidy and convenient, with the reconciliation of Jeanette's past and present not entirely seamless or enabling Larson to exploit her talent. However, the script offers and intricate and complex portrayal of Jeanette's father, Rex, who is imbued with nuance and strengths and weaknesses as a human that greatly influence his parenting style. Rex's unorthodox methods of teaching Jeanette to swim by quite literally throwing her in the deep end are contrasted by scenes of the father and daughter sweetly stargazing, creating a depiction of a man who is a deeply troubled dreamer, striving to be his best but often giving his family with the worst.
Although the script does not do the source material justice, the performances given by the central cast help this cliched film feel original. Larson, despite the lack of opportunity she is given to truly shine, makes the conflict within her character achingly real. Jeanette and her three siblings' upbringing presented many hardships; they often went days without eating and had no permanent place they could call home. But they had incomparable experiences and defining, character building moments that none of their peers could ever comprehend. As a result, the feelings Jeanette developed toward her free-spirited parents were complicated - she admired the love and freedom she received but resented their selfish neglect. Harrelson and Watts as Rex and Rose Walls give two of the best performances of their careers and thrive when acting opposite Ella Anderson and Chandler Head, the two fabulous young actors portraying Jeanette during stages of her childhood.
Anchored by excellent performances from the film's biggest names and its up and coming talent, The Glass Castle ultimately mildly succeeds in delivering the necessary tear-jerking emotions but fails to fulfil its promising potential.
EB
Cast: Brie Larson, Woody Harrelson, Naomi Watts
In 2013, Short Term 12, a drama centring around Grace (Brie Larson), a supervisor of a group home for troubled teenagers, was a huge critical success. Particular praise was awarded to Larson's captivating performance and Destin Daniel Cretton's direction. Four years later and Larson and Cretton have reunited on The Glass Castle, and with an Oscar win under the former's belt, they hope to duplicate the same winning formula of their first collaboration.Jeanette Walls (Brie Larson) is a successful journalist living in New York with her handsome and wealthy finance in a lavish apartment. However, a chance encounter forces her to confront her unconventional and nomadic 70s childhood, dictated by her alcoholic father, Rex (Woody Harrelson).
Based on the best-selling memoir of the same name by Jeanette Walls, The Glass Castle presented many opportunities for an incredible narrative to be weaved from a plethora of remarkable stories from Walls' unique upbringing. The task of condensing an entire childhood into a two hour film, highlighting and dramatising the most compelling moments, must have been an arduous undertaking - and the result is sadly lacklustre, laced with repetitive character beats and scenes that fail to push the story forward. The film's conclusion is also a little too tidy and convenient, with the reconciliation of Jeanette's past and present not entirely seamless or enabling Larson to exploit her talent. However, the script offers and intricate and complex portrayal of Jeanette's father, Rex, who is imbued with nuance and strengths and weaknesses as a human that greatly influence his parenting style. Rex's unorthodox methods of teaching Jeanette to swim by quite literally throwing her in the deep end are contrasted by scenes of the father and daughter sweetly stargazing, creating a depiction of a man who is a deeply troubled dreamer, striving to be his best but often giving his family with the worst.
Although the script does not do the source material justice, the performances given by the central cast help this cliched film feel original. Larson, despite the lack of opportunity she is given to truly shine, makes the conflict within her character achingly real. Jeanette and her three siblings' upbringing presented many hardships; they often went days without eating and had no permanent place they could call home. But they had incomparable experiences and defining, character building moments that none of their peers could ever comprehend. As a result, the feelings Jeanette developed toward her free-spirited parents were complicated - she admired the love and freedom she received but resented their selfish neglect. Harrelson and Watts as Rex and Rose Walls give two of the best performances of their careers and thrive when acting opposite Ella Anderson and Chandler Head, the two fabulous young actors portraying Jeanette during stages of her childhood.
Anchored by excellent performances from the film's biggest names and its up and coming talent, The Glass Castle ultimately mildly succeeds in delivering the necessary tear-jerking emotions but fails to fulfil its promising potential.
EB
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