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This episode, salmon and mushrooms, is superb in so many ways. The kimono lady is delightfully mysterious. The relationship of the couple is spot on and surprising at every turn. How can such an episode achieve such Heights in 24 minutes or so?

6 1/2 out of 10 Albert stars

This movie shines a sweet light on Julianne Moore, who is an exceptional actress in just about any role she plays. In most respects Gloria Bell is a female empowerment movie. It's about discarding nonfunctional lovers and husbands, as well as harmful habits, and replacing them with new attempts at creating a good life.

The strength of the movie lies in its first 2/3 where all of the needed situations are set up, including divorce, searching for love in all the wrong places (mainly dance clubs), maintaining a difficult job, and trying to connect with her family members. One of the latter is her nonfunctional, vaping son, played by Michael Cera, who doesn't know how to take care of a child.

There are no functional males in this movie apart perhaps from Brad Garrett's, who plays her ex-husband. Despite this, I enjoyed seeing how the movie came together and how the Bell character was developed. At about the 2/3 mark, however, the camera lingered too long on Julianne Moore's face and the place slowed to a crawl. Lovely as she is, this was very self-indulgent fixation by the director, who was hired by the executive producer, who is Julianne Moore herself.

In a similar way, Barbra Streisand is famous for having her face occupy too much of a movie. In this case, even though Julianne Moore is generally fascinating to watch, all of those extended takes of her just felt like wasted screen time. There were many interesting details that could have been explored, plot kinks and characters to be developed, etc. So I found myself looking at my watch repeatedly and wondering when the movie was going to end. Never a good sign. I wanted to go and see how many minutes more I had to suffer through.

Other people will feel differently, especially women looking for a good trouncing of loser men -- or just trying to find a way to make life work. John Turturro's acting is superb., and his character is very interesting.

An important bonus for movie-goers is that the music is very catchy and lively, and the fact that Moore's character thrives on the music and sings along all the time. This shows that her singing -- and by extension music in general -- can be an antidote, an anodyne and a pure joy. Not just for characters like Moore's, but for all of us. And the ending is uplifting. So there you have it.

My first judgment about this film was much harsher than this, and Hollywood was worried. But a friend had a fairly positive reaction to the movie, and I re-thought... and recalled how much I enjoyed the first 2/3. Then I revised my opinion. This change will no doubt drive tens of thousands more moviegoers to see the flick. Thanks!

This movie is superb is so many ways -- in its ambition, its portrayal of human caring and in its cinematic execution. The film was written and directed by Alfonso Cuaron and shot in black and white. It tells the story of an upper middle-class Mexican family and their caring housekeeper-child-care worker Cleo, played by the incomparable Yalitza Aparicio.

The acting is amazing, from individual performances to ensemble playing. That said this movie is not for everyone. First, it moves very slowly at times - and then it speeds up dramatically. If you are an impatient movie-watcher (as I am most times), this one is not for you. Basically it tell the tale of a dysfunctional, marriage, the consequences for the children, and how Cleo responds to various challenges. That is a whole lot of short-hand, but I am trying not to reveal much.

The way I found enhanced my appreciation of the film is to watch each scene unfold studiously. Observe what is happening in the corners of the frame, especially since it is often shot from a distant view. Something meaningful is always going on, whether it pertains to plot, character development or cinematic beauty.

If I found some imperfections in the film, they are these: 1) At Cleo's crisis moment, she could have screamed. This would have added power to her portrayal and to the movie as a whole (even if some would say it would have been out of character). 2) When the mom behaves irresponsibly at the end of the film her state of mind is not sufficiently foreshadowed.

Finally, you may wonder: "Why should I watch this movie?" My answer is that the character of Cleo is emblematic of many of the world's long-suffering but dedicated and indispensable women. This judgment is not in the sense of a lesson that you must take, but in the sense of a warm human story that is rewarding to watch.