This review was first published in August 2019 when the film was in theaters. Now Das Erste shows it on Tuesday at 10:50 p.m., which is why we are publishing the review again.
She adjusts her floral dress, takes her drink from the counter, her hips are already swaying warm. Showtime for Gloria, a woman in her 50s who likes to go dancing after work. She makes her way through the full bar. Has a superficial conversation that’s a little too loud and a little awkward, like most bar conversations.
Julianne Moore plays the title role in “Gloria”. The director Sebastian Lélio gives her a lot of space. Almost only Gloria can be seen in the picture, even when others are speaking. However, it often happens to Gloria that not everything revolves around her. Sebastian Lélio portrays a woman who used to be the perfect girl next door. Now she’s a woman next door who says things like: “When the world ends, I will hopefully die dancing”.
Gloria has been divorced for twelve years, her social contacts are limited to “how-are-then-so” in after-work clubs, a stray cat and her two children, whom she speaks on the mailbox. The offspring are not particularly interested in their mother, they teach her yoga every now and then (daughter) and let her hold the grandchild (son). So what can be done about being alone? Go dancing, do laughter yoga, Earth Wind and Fire Sing along on the radio. And fall in love. Arnold, a paintball-playing romantic who was divorced a year ago.
The story of Gloria is a remake of the Chilean film “Gloria” from 2013. Same story, same director, the Chilean Sebastian Lélio made a remake of his own film. The ensemble: full of well-known names. In addition to Julianne Moore in the title role, Michael Cera plays her son, John Turturro her friend Arnold. The dialogues: Almost one to one taken from the original. The film: smoother, fancier and not that charming. The American remake is also a film that tells the story of getting older both bitterly and touchingly at the same time.
Arnold cannot choose Gloria. And Gloria? Drives home to him, takes his paintball rifle out of the trunk, aims, first pops Arnold’s house with red cartridges, then knocks him down and gets back into the car. One of the funniest scenes in the whole movie, where Julianne Moore briefly sheds the stiffness she plays Gloria with. The woman next door ultimately only needs herself. And in between maybe Earth, Wind and Fire.
Gloria Bell, USA 2018, directed by Sebastián Lelio. Book: Alice Johnson Boher. Camera: Natasha Braier. Starring: Julianne Moore, John Turturro. Square One, 102 minutes.