Prigione di vetro

I was surprised by this one, after having read some of the comments about it. My wife had insisted on several occasions to rent it, but I had managed to avoid it until now. The reason being that I'm not a great fan of ‘startle-you-scenes' movies, where story line comes second to all possible means to startle the audience out of their shoes (which I believe is a the wrong way in creating good horror/thriller action movies). The Glass House is however not one of these, and I suspect that is one of the reason some people have given it slack reviews. Here they seem to keep to more realistic theme, with characters re-acting in intelligent manner, instead of some idiots you often see in horror/thriller films. The interesting thing was that the girl in the movie suspected from the start that something was wrong, and tried to solve the situation. The authorities became part of the picture from the start, instead of the usual stupidity that someone ‘evil' resides in position of authority, denying the victim any help. The Glass couple were a bit unusual, though not overdoing it, and we can follow how they slip into their own nightmarish madness. Especially good was the scene were Mr. Glass is asking for a loan at a bank, displaying how, in fact, he was just a regular man. So all in all, this was just enough tension, in rather realistic environment, with surprisingly good acting all around. 7/10

THE GLASS HOUSE / (2001) *** (out of four)

By Blake French:

"The Glass House" takes place in a beautiful, luxurious glass mansion complete with swimming pools, expensive artwork, high-tech security systems, and just about everything else. The wealthy occupants, Terry and Erin Glass (Stellan Skarsgard and Diane Lane), become legal guardians of sixteen-year old Rudy (Leelee Sobieski) and eleven-year old Rhett (Trevor Morgan), when the kids' parents die in an automobile accident.

Terry and Erin were the best friends of the children's parents. They welcome their new guests into a world of wealth, glamour, and fun. Soon enough, however, Rudy notices strange quirks about these seemingly friendly folks. Is Terry secretly watching Rudy change her clothes? Is Erin addicted to prescription drugs, or is she a diabetic? Was her parents' death an accident, or a diabolical act of murder? Trust becomes as transparent as the glass surrounding this family.

"The Glass House" opened to mostly negative reviews, and not without probable cause. The setup provides an intriguing, imaginative situation, but everything happens so quickly the film forgets character introduction. First time-feature director Daniel Sackheim helms a hole-laden script by Wesley Strick that creates more plot holes than Swiss cheese. The film derives into involving material, but lacks the focus to play out these plot points.

While Daniel Sackheim and Wesley Strick create a movie that lacks the timeliness and intelligence of a first-rate, edge-of-your-seat thrill ride, "The Glass House" does offer good suspense and a plot that reveals itself with tantalizing sinister hints and increasing tension. It keeps us guessing, even if this diabolical fairy tale is anything but surprising.

Leelee Sobieski has been in a lot of movies lately, and that's not a coincidence. She is a very talented actress, and she carries "The Glass House" through many plot miscalculations. Trevor Morgan, seen in "Jurassic Park 3," adequately supports Sobieski's thorough, convincing performance. The very gifted Diane Lane and Stellan Skarsgard cover their sinister motives with pretentious personalities, but inject a mysterious, menacing undercurrent.

"The Glass House" also provides a fresh, unique outlook on villains. Instead of causing trouble, these characters get themselves into trouble, which eventually makes them dangerous. Innovative, original twists like these are what make this movie worth a look. They say those who live in glass houses should not throw stones, but the villains in "The Glass House" do, and it's only a matter of time before everything shatters and breaks apart. It's quite involving watching these events come about, especially through a character driven story.

Unfortunately, The Glass House movie doesnt get the recognition it deserves. It is one of the good thriller movies of 2000s. Stellan Skarsgård was the right amount of creepy. The set was perfect for the movie. The director did an amazing job. It had the right amount of jump scares.

Please ignore the bad comments.

THE GLASS HOUSE is an interesting thriller that answers the question: 'What would you do if the only people you could turn to were the enemies?". The cast is great, the direction and design are beautiful, and the music score is very creepy.

It's a very good movie that has wrongfully received poor reviews. Of course it's predictable, but it's really, really enjoyable!

THE GLASS HOUSE is the story of Ruby Baker (Leelee Sobieski), who loses her parents in a car accident. Ruby and her brother wind up living with their godparents, Terrence and Erin Glass (Stellan Skarsgard and Diane Lane).

Everything seems fine until Ruby begins noticing some unsettling goings-on. This leads to dark revelations and catastrophic events.

Ms. Sobieski is very good in her harried role. Skarsgard and Lane give solid, slimy performances. This movie is filled with mystery and suspense, with several creepy moments. A great PG-13 rated thriller.

Watch for Bruce Dern and Kathy Baker as a lawyer and a social worker respectively...