KMC Forums - Review: Shattered Glass

Shattered Glass

The film shattered glass revolves around a 24 year old journalist who writes for the Washington based �The New Republic�. Funny that this journalist is played by Hayden Christensen who is also meant to feature as Darth Vader in George Lucas�s film �Revenge of the Sith� thus playing a big role in bringing down a republic and forming an empire.

Based on a true story, Steven Glass, cooked almost more than half of his articles (27/41 exactly) during his 3 years at the post. Those so entertaining stories helped him deceive his workmates as a brilliant writer with an acute sense of smell for a potential story brewing up in Washington. This trust he obtained by backing up the lies with other lies and those lies with more lies. Basically as he puts it, Part A is a � truth, which he then supports with a � truth which is further backed with a � virtual yet appealing fabrication.

The words �I�ll get my notes� and �are you mad at me?� are common from Glass. The former buys him time for him to back his lie with another lie and the latter inspires colleagues� sympathy by duping them in making a hasty decision. Prejudice.

As per a journalist modus operandi goes he needs to supply his sources with his article that goes to the editor, then goes to the writers then goes to the publisher �..Etc. and spends a good deal of time like a table-tennis ball coming & going, until the article gets refined and tuned (for errors factual and spelling) for it to be a presentable one for the Mag. Then finally goes to the publisher.

Glass�s world came crumbling down when the article regarding hackers was examined by �Forbes Online Tool� an online journalism site. With search engines, the role of Stephen Zahn, searches for the phantom, major software, Californian based company �Junkt� to no avail. Other items of the article did not copy. No names, no places, no conferences in buildings, no nothing.

As Glass�s editor, Chuck Lane (Peter Sarsgaard) finds out the possible threat on the magazine he isa now an editor, he pushes Stephen for answers, evidence and undeniable proof. The reputation of a magazine is at stake. Nothing matches. Every lie Glass makes up is dissolved by Lane�s prompt action to verify. It then transpires that most of the articles by Stephen Glass are fabricated.

Hayden Christensen is very good in this role, yet he doesn�t seem to match the versatility of actors his age as all we have seen him is as Anakin Skywalker. His attempt to yellm, distrought and with his back against the wall, actually feels like an empty man trying to voice a power he cannot possess. Shattered Glass.