Tanya’s Score: Good-and-a-half*
Rated: 14A
Starring: George-Michael; the Jesus; a Goonie; Julianne Moore
Plot: An intimate portrait of a 50-something divorcée (Moore) as she seeks connections within her life.
Tanya’s Verdict: I saw the original Chilean movie this one is based on [Gloria (2013)] five years ago and though time has passed, if memory serves correctly, I enjoyed it just as much as the Americanized version – perhaps because both are directed by Sebastián Lelio.
Julianne Moore is perfectly cast in the title role – she is beautiful yet natural; exuberant yet subtle; sympathetic and relatable; and best of all – just so wonderful to watch. Despite all this, Gloria Bell is not a movie for everyone. The plot is basically nothing more than a portrait of a woman. I enjoy this sort of thing – though I know not everyone does.
The character of Gloria is believable and inspirational – leaving herself open for connections in her everyday life – with family, friends, potential love interests, even a hairless feline. The music – the background score as well as the song list throughout – is perfectly suited to the scenes at hand – only adding to my cinematic enjoyment.
For me, this film was a slow burn – growing more and more enjoyable by the moment.
*Four score descriptions: Sh**; Okay; Good; Great