The Glass Jar

The nominal driving force in Gil Wadsworth's directorial debut is the idea that all people, men specifically, lose their inherent goodness early in life and never reclaim it. This simple notion is squandered on two swarthy jackal buds -- spineless John and bulldozer Tony (Anthony Crivello and Kohn Kassir) -- who spend 90 minutes politically incorrecting each other in mega-monologue format.

Under Wadsworth's eye, time creeps and drips and asides are almost always screeches, but it's friendship that suffers the most unconvincing manipulations. As the film becomes swathed in lazy pop psychology, its strident lead performances worsen. Revelations of childhood abuse at the midpoint draw a convenient bell curve, a contrivance meant to convince us that these guys are cosmically fated to bare their souls to each other. It doesn't fly. The proximity of John and Tony merely grates; their Tarantino-esque riffs never blossom into the sort of adult tête-à-tête that can take place when friends are committed to each other but want an edge in their relationship. Wadsworth labors to devastate with wit, but truly cutting banter always sounds -- and feels -- very unscripted. Screens at the Copley Place Sunday, September 19 at 6:45 and 9 p.m.

-- Joseph Manera

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Film Festival Feature Films

| Keepers of the Frame | The Runner | The Carriers Are Waiting | Tumbleweeds | Deterrance | The War Zone | Happy, Texas | Joe the King | The Legend of 1900 | Best Laid Plans | Original Diner Guys | The Glass Jar | Rose's | Wirey Spindell | Starry Night | Bellyfruit |

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More Boston Film Festival information, film descriptions, and show times

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