The Glass House

***Sad drama with Leelee Sobieski and Stellan Skarsgård switches to thriller*** A suddenly orphaned teen girl (Leelee Sobieski) & her little brother start a new life in Malibu with their guardians (Stellan Skarsgård & Diane Lane), who might not be the caring friends of their parents they seem to be. Bruce Dern is on hand as a lawyer. “The Glass House” (2001) starts as a melancholic drama with the general plot, setting and tone of “Poison Ivy” (1992), but without the lethal Lolita angle. It eventually morphs into a suspense/thriller à la “Enough” (2002), just don’t expect Leelee to change into Rambo, like J-Lo. Sobieski as protagonist Ruby is one-dimensionally sullen, which fits the situation, but it gives a lifeless vibe to the proceedings. Some critics claim the last act is predictable, but it's really not, excepting the fact that two people ultimately square off (which is obvious from the beginning). I'd cite examples but don't want to give away spoilers. The film runs 1 hour, 46 minutes, and was shot in Malibu & that general area of Los Angeles. GRADE: B-