The Glass House: Rewatch

So the other day I was browsing what was on TV and a blast from the past came on in the form of 2001's The Glass House. A movie I had not seen since It first came out and I was in Middle School. I was still very young then so I went into it watching it again with fresh eyes. It filled me with a bit of nostalgia seeing the days when you had to use AOL to get on the internet and the old landlines and intercom systems. 

It's like the old saying goes, "When I was a child, I saw as a child, I thought as a child, and I reasoned as a child..."

Now That I am an adult I was able to understand it in ways I had not before. At first what is assumed to be just another thriller, is actually an underated peice of Neo-Noir.

The Movie goes as Fallows. 11 year old Rhett and 16 year old Ruby are living a normal suburban life in California. Ruby comes home late one night after hanging out with her friends to discover that he parent's were killed in a car accident.

Also I wanna give a brief shout out to (Chris Noth) who plays their mother's brother, Uncle Jack. Yup that's right Sex and the City's Big is their uncle! He lives in Chicago and tho he loved his sister, he hasn't kept in touch since he moved. But tells Ruby to call if she and Rhett ever need anything!

After the funeral they are sent to live with Mr. and Mrs Glass. Their old neighbors whom their parents have known for years. They live in Malibu, California's most expensive zip code in a large post modern glass house!

The house itself feels like a charter. With it's post modern architecture, smooth metallic surfaces, and and large glass windows that stretch from ceiling to floor. It looks more like the home of a supervision than the home of a seemingly well to do couple.

The key word in that last sentence being seemingly! The movie deals mostly with that old saying that nobody really knows what goes on behind closed doors. On the surface they appear to be a happy successful couple. Terry appears to own a successful limbo company and Erin is a well respected doctor. Parts they play very well. 

Not long after the Children move in Ruby discovers the Glasses have secret's of their own. Doctor Glass (Played by Diane Lane) is secretly addicted to morphine and prescription drugs. Which she steals from the hospital. And Mr. Glass. Played by (Steallan Skarsguard) is an alcoholic, who owes allot of money to dangerous men.   

I also love (LeeLee Sobieski) as Ruby. The first time around I very much identified with her, even though I was closer in age to the young actor (Trevor Morgan) who played her brother Rhett. Back in the 90s he was one of my little gay crushes along with Jason Priestly and JTT.

Not only did i have a little brother to look out for as well, but I think it was because I could relate to her teenage against. When your that age where your no longer a child but not yet an adult. And you know that somethings wrong yet no one really believes you or takes you seriously because of your youth. 

Anyway Leelee Sobieski is amazing in this because I always love movies with strong female characters, and the way it's written where she has to play this cat and mouse game with Mr. and Mrs. Glass. Trying to convince her father's layer and the woman from social services that somethings going on is very well written. 

But what i think I love about this is the cat and mouse story-line that runs through out the movie. And it's kinda brilliant in a way because the Glasses are both addicts and addicts are very good at lying and deceiving. 

Though on the surface it seems like just another thriller, to me it seems to be a very understated peice of Film Noir or Neo-Noir if you prefer. The film often features heavey uses of shadow as well as bright colors to making every frame of the film look visually beautiful making the whole thing seem like a surreal nightmare.

Which I assumed losing your parents always is, no matter what age you are! But the Scene where. Mr. Glass locks the children in the basement is straight out of (Night of The Hunter), a movie from the 1950s Which I never stop telling people to see because it's a classic example of Film Noir.

Skarsguard is definitely at his villinous best here. This was the movie that first brought him and his handsome brood to my attention. He is also responsibul for giving me a little sexual awaking, seeing him shirtless in the movie. Ugghhh why do I always fall for the bad boys?

He's villinously sexy!