The Glow (2003)
Of the five films I saw, this is the only one that's given me trouble. In many regards, it's an excellent film -- it's involving, well-acted, impressive in all technical aspects, thematically rich, what have you. Additionally, it could serve as a primer for up-and-coming directors on how to build tension. Herein lies the problem, though: The film doesn't know when to STOP amplifying the unease. An hour-fifteen into this ninety-minute film, the director was still piling on the atmosphere. The film kept building and building and building to some astonishing conclusion to the point where the only possible avenue out I could think of was no concrete ending at all. Sadly, the writer/director withdrew the ambiguity in favor of an attempt at answering the film's central questions (the source of the weird happenings and the identity of the two mysterious men), and I could only watch stunned as the film exploded into piffle around my ears. I was disenchanted enough with the overly explanatory climax that I wandered out of Alice Tully spitting venom and fire, momentarily forgetting all the incidental pleasures previous to the impotent finale. Now that I have some distance between that night and now, I can see with clearer eyes that I did like a lot of things about this. I'm so close to giving it a qualified recommendation. But when a film adds up to zero, I can't abide. (Side note: I've added lead actress Tinkerbell -- yes, Tinkerbell -- to my short list of Preternaturally Gorgeous and Charismatic Actresses Whom I Would Watch in Anything.)
Grade: C+
Of the five films I saw, this is the only one that's given me trouble. In many regards, it's an excellent film -- it's involving, well-acted, impressive in all technical aspects, thematically rich, what have you. Additionally, it could serve as a primer for up-and-coming directors on how to build tension. Herein lies the problem, though: The film doesn't know when to STOP amplifying the unease. An hour-fifteen into this ninety-minute film, the director was still piling on the atmosphere. The film kept building and building and building to some astonishing conclusion to the point where the only possible avenue out I could think of was no concrete ending at all. Sadly, the writer/director withdrew the ambiguity in favor of an attempt at answering the film's central questions (the source of the weird happenings and the identity of the two mysterious men), and I could only watch stunned as the film exploded into piffle around my ears. I was disenchanted enough with the overly explanatory climax that I wandered out of Alice Tully spitting venom and fire, momentarily forgetting all the incidental pleasures previous to the impotent finale. Now that I have some distance between that night and now, I can see with clearer eyes that I did like a lot of things about this. I'm so close to giving it a qualified recommendation. But when a film adds up to zero, I can't abide. (Side note: I've added lead actress Tinkerbell -- yes, Tinkerbell -- to my short list of Preternaturally Gorgeous and Charismatic Actresses Whom I Would Watch in Anything.)
Grade: C+
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