GLASSLAND

Ireland, 2014, 93 minutes, Colour.
Jack Reynor, Tony Collette, Will Poulter, Michael Smiley, Harry Nagle.
Directed by Gerard Barrett.

Glassland is a very good film and for those interested in alcohol addiction, the consequences for family relationships, especially mother-son, the film is a must. On the other hand, audiences wanting entertainment will find the film too demanding.

The film was written and directed by Gerard Barrett, age 27 at the time, having made his first feature film, Pilgrim Hill, about a middle-aged farmer and his relationship with his father. This time the central character is a young man, a taxi driver, a decent man who tries his best but is caught up in the need for financing his mother’s recovery and doing jobs collecting young women in his taxi and driving them to specified destinations, something which makes the experience harrowing for him.

He is John, played by Jack Reynor, who won a special Jury prize at the Sundance Festival in 2015 for his performance. Tony Collette, who is reported to have filmed all of her scenes in just six days, gives a tremendous performance as his mother, alcoholic, her son cleaning up after her vomiting, her quiet times, her rages in the kitchen and breaking crockery… But she has an important sequence, well worth seeing, where she explains to her son her marriage, her relationship to her husband, a son whom she has not followed up, her love for John, but her inability to relate to her younger son who was born with brain deficiencies, seeing him as a thing, unable to touch him.

Jack Reynor has a very powerful scene with Tony Collette where he upbraids her for her behaviour, expresses his desperation, makes a plea, a dramatisation of the plight of a young man like this who does care about his mother.

Harry Nagle portrays Kit, seen at the institution where he lives, where his brother visits him, even bringing a card from his mother which he has written for her.

Michael Smiley is also very good as a former alcoholic who runs a care centre, gives advice to John, takes in Jean but has to move her on for further care.

The mood throughout the film is bleak. Some audiences may find it too hard to take. But, it is worth it.

1. A significant film about addiction and mother-son relationships?

2. The director, aged 27, his career, family relationship subjects?

3. The Dublin setting, the house and its interiors, doctors, counsellors, the countryside? The Dublin streets, especially at night? The musical score?

4. The title? Significance?

5. The film as a portrait of John, his age, a good man, his life as a taxi driver, his friends, helping them out, with Shane, at home, playing computer games, not having a passport so not able to leave Ireland with Shane, the strong friendship, the farewell? John and his appearance, at home, waking up, making breakfast, the routines? His love for his mother, the growing concern about her, cleaning up after her? His love for his brother, going to visit him, playful together, bringing a card from his mother? The father and his love, dancing with his mother, disappearing after Kit’s birth?

6. Jean, her age, drinking, being sick, collapsing, going to the doctor, the warning about her health, drinking herself to death, the need for a liver transplant? Her sullenness, her outbursts of anger, breaking the crockery? Her quiet times? Her explanation of herself – memories of her husband, happiness, the older son and her dismissing him from her memory, her love for John and dependence on him, her inability to face Kit, the birth, not wanting to touch him, seeing him as a thing? Never visiting him? The important scene of her frank talk with John and her explanations? John’s important scene and his challenging her, desperate, to persuade her to go for help? Her going, some kind of improvement, the expensive centre for her recovery? Some hope?

7. John, his ordinary life, the hard work, not having enough money, the frank talk with Jim and Jim’s explanation, Jim’s own experience? Helping out with some money? Making an appointment for the recovery centre? Jim as a good man?

8. The effect on John, dealing with his mother, becoming desperate, moments of outburst, love for Kit? The money, the contacts, the human trafficking, collecting the girls, driving them to destinations, the last trip, the girl in the car, his getting out and walking around, trying to come to terms with his life, imagining his mother loving Kit, getting back in the car, driving the girl to the destination?

9. A powerful drama on mother-son relationships? A significant film, especially in the scenes with Jean and John about the nature of alcoholism, the reasons, alcohol as a friend which never lets down, always there, comfort in loneliness? The will to change and the necessary support?