It turns out that I am quite the fan of director Sebastián Lelio, who also co-wrote this screenplay with Gonzalo Maza. In fact, it turns out that the only film that I have seen from him and thoroughly disliked is the remake of this. Maybe I just wasn't able to appreciate it when I watched it, or maybe the entire premise of the movie is undermined when you get someone like Julianne Moore cast in the lead role.
Gloria is all about Gloria (Paulina García), funnily enough. She is a woman of a certain age, trying to enjoy a time in her life when she can be a bit more free-spirited and confident in her relationships. Trying to enjoy some time with Rodolfo (Sergio Hernández), Gloria soon finds that not everyone at her age has the same approach to life. Some people just aren't ready to move forward without carrying ALL of the baggage from their past with them, either due to a sense of obligation or due to having that baggage available as an excuse whenever they want to provide some distance between themselves and anyone else trying to get close.
While I was critical of the remake because of how lightweight it seemed, Gloria shows that the cast is the only major difference between two interpretations of the material. That makes all the difference though. Whereas Julianne Moore appears onscreen and is Julianne Moore (a damn fine actress, but familiar and able to turn her star power on or off, depending on the role), García feels much more like the character. I don't want to be dismissive of her body of work, but she feels much less like a star and more in line with who Gloria is, the type of unglamorous and natural older woman who isn't often depicted in movies. The rest of the cast do equally well, and there are more people involved in a number of scenes, but the focus remains on Gloria and Rodolfo, which makes the excellence of Hernández in that role so important. Whether you think he is being too caring or too cowardly, Rodolfo is very much a reflection of many people at his stage in life.
Lelio keeps things pretty unfussy, allowing the screenplay to be elevated by the leads, who do as much in moments of silence as they do with the dialogue. There's satisfaction here, but it's not necessarily the kind of satisfaction you get from movies that are building to a standard release of tension in the final act. This is satisfaction derived from watching someone consider their self-worth and firmly decide on whatever could be the key to their own happiness. It also makes great use of a popular song with the same name as the main character. If I wanted to recommend a film from this director then I would recommend others ahead of this one, but Gloria is a rewarding watch, especially for those who have lived enough life to understand that cutting through the BS and believing in yourself is much better for you than trying to please everyone else while you miss out on your own happiness.
7/10
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