Glassland (2014)

10.05pm, Saturday, TG4

‘’You’re breaking my heart, every single day’’

Directors often change tack once their debut, low-budget feature has been well received and the money (and talent quota) has been raised for their sophomore outing. Not so Gerard Barrett. After wowing with his debut, Pilgrim Hill (2012), a powerful movie about loneliness shot in seven days on a budget of €4,500, the Kerry director’s follow-up is another powerful study of ennui. Glassland may number Jack Reynor, Toni Colette and Will Poulter among its cast, but it was still shot in 16 days on a budget that would barely cover the cost of an average TV commercial.

In the central role, Reynor is terri c as a young Dublin taxi driver coming to terms with his own solitude and lack of opportunity, while coping with the problems of caring for an alcoholic mother (Collette), and the imminent emigration of his best pal (Poulter). The young Dubliner delivers a superb performance that fully deserved the major acting gong he received when the movie premiered at Sundance. Glassland is a moving character study of a young man doing his best to keep everything together while his mother sinks deeper and deeper into a bottle. For her part, Collette is perfect casting, while Poulter is not only e ective, he delivers the most convincing Dublin accent of any actor born beyond the Pale. Michael Smiley is also superb in a supporting role of a sympathetic counsellor. And it’s good to see Pilgrim Hill star Joe Mullins, pop up, too.

Glassland also scores well on the technical front. Using a combination of hand-held and locked-in shots, plus a desaturated palette, Barrett creates the perfect environment to re ect the mood of his estranged and disenfranchised characters. In short, Glassland marks another triumph for Gerard Barrett.

★★★★