Gloria

After reading many glowing reviews of this film, I had quite high expectations. In truth, I was ready to toss those high hopes out the window, as the film seemed to be more and more difficult to watch as an exercise in sadness. However, after thinking about it and being blown away by the last 20 minutes of the movie, I came down on the side that it was an inspiring and powerful experience.

Paulina Garcia, as Gloria, is magnificent and mesmerizing here as an attractive but terribly lonely middle-aged Chilean woman, who frequents some of the local dance clubs. It's here that one night she meets Rodolfo, who is very strongly portrayed by Sergio Hernandez. They're immediately attracted to each other and quickly begin a relationship.

Unfortunately, Rodolfo turns out to be a rather despicable character, who's more interested in being completely enmeshed and co-dependent with his ex-wife and their two daughters, than in developing an adult relationship with Gloria. Even though Gloria sees the "handwriting on the wall" she has to decide whether she will succumb to this hurtful environment or return to her lonely existence.

I thought this movie, directed and co-written ( with Gonzalo Maza) by Chilean filmmaker Sebastian Lelio, lost its' way at times and became difficult to watch. Also, I thought the explicit sex scenes and graphic nudity seemed to be more often done for effect than anything else.

However, Garcia's incredible performance proved to be the key for me here, as her portrayal of Gloria gave me a strong feeling of her bravery and this movie has been one I've thought about well after it was over.

The big revelation in Chilean director Sebastian Lelio's Gloria is that older people are still interested in sex. Who would've thunk it? We thought they had moved on to other interests. In any event, in the superb performance by Paulina Garcia for which she won the Silver Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2013, 58-year-old Gloria is definitely a "force of nature." Gloria (who is in every scene in the film) shows her zest for life by going to singles clubs on the weekends, dancing, drinking alcohol, smoking pot, singing along with the car radio, and having sex (not that there's anything wrong with that). You won't catch her doing old fogy things, such as body, mind, and spirit-nurturing type of stuff (except for a halfhearted stab at yoga).

She is, nonetheless, a courageous woman who fights off loneliness with tenacity remarkable at any age. Unfortunately, she also proves that she can be just as self-absorbed, unable to communicate, and inconsiderate as anyone, regardless of age or condition. Divorced for many years, Gloria lives alone in a small apartment in Santiago where, after working all day, she has to contend with the noise of a drug addict who lives upstairs. Her relationship with her adult children, Pedro (Diego Fontecilla), who has an infant and daughter Ana (Fabiola Zamora), who is pregnant with the child of her Swedish boyfriend, is good, at least on the surface.

The fact that she has to keep reminding them to call her, however, raises questions about how close their relationship is. One weekend at the dance club, Gloria connects with Rodolfo (Sergio Hernandez), an ex-Navy officer who has been divorced for one year, and they begin a relationship that seems promising. Rodolfo owns a small amusement park where he and Gloria have fun together, shooting each other with paint guns and bungee jumping. His continuing close relationship with his ex-wife and two daughters whom he supports financially, however, begins to get in the way and their good times together come to a sudden halt when Rodolfo meets Gloria's children and somewhat strange ex-husband Gabriel (Alejandro Goic) at Pedro's birthday party.

Feeling ignored to the point of being invisible, Rodolfo reacts to Gloria and Gabriel's reminiscing about the past and showing each other photos from the family album by abruptly getting up and leaving. After avoiding his phone calls for what appears to be several days, they finally meet but neither takes responsibility for what happened. Although he tries to explain what prompted his action at the party, she turns a deaf ear and continues to blame him for being "rude." A similar scenario plays out when they reestablish their friendship and spend a weekend at an upscale resort where the director does not flinch from showing their naked bodies in bed.

When Rodolfo receives a phone call from one of his daughters telling him that his ex-wife just had a serious accident, he is anxious to go and be with her. Instead of letting him know that it is okay with her if he chooses to go, Gloria tells him to let go of his past and be in present time. Without regards for his being upset at the moment, she presses him to agree to go with her on a ten-day vacation to Cuba. Though it is not surprising when he again walks out and leaves her alone, it is apparent that open and honest communication would have worked better. Again, blaming him for being rude, she cuts off all communications and petulantly unleashes a paint-gun attack on his home.

Without question, accolades are warranted for Garcia's performance and she deserves all the awards and nominations she has received. Gloria can be charming and the world could certainly use more free spirits, yet, while many will cheer her actions with a "you go girl" mindset, a distinction needs to be made between an independent spirit and those who behave in a juvenile manner. Unfortunately, however, Lelio does not make any. It is left to Gloria to finally figure out the difference between pleasure and joy.

It is rare to find female portraits of real women, with all their imperfections, vulnerabilities, as well as their strength and courage. I have seen many movies trying to represent the female universe, but "Gloria" is in my opinion one of the most accurate, honest, real I have ever seen. In his picture there's not a single cliché , or pathetic, or melodramatic moment and the merit is to be given to Paulina Garcià who proves superb, she does not represent , she is a real woman, as if she were not playing. She offers such a variety of expressions, gestures , evidence of a great talent, her moments of joy are as intense as her down ones, proving always so charismatic and real. In the end we stay disarmed in front of this woman, who lives her sometimes desperate search for life in front of us, and we cannot but sympathize, smile, cry and feel with her. But her merit is shared by the director, quite significantly a man, and a young man, surprisingly capable of offering a very sensitive and mature view of the female world, and an equally honest view of a rather miserable male universe.

I saw this film on a fluke last night and found it surprisingly enjoyable. I thought Paulina Garcia was excellent in her portrayal of the middle- aged, divorced "Gloria" attempting to find herself now that her kids are grown and have lives of their own. Her "romantic" encounter is pretty heartbreaking and realistically portrayed. I thought the film was a great character analysis of the challenges that the new "golden aged" generation in many Western countries deal with; a bit of isolation (as kids grow and start their own families), conflicting loyalties to lovers versus family (for those that are divorced), commitment to work, finding how to fit in as older adults, in a youthful and rapidly changing society.

"Gloria" (2013 release from Chile; 100 min.) brings the story of Gloria (played by Paulina Garcia), a fifty-something divorced woman. As the movie opens, we find Gloria in a dance club with Donna Summer's "I Feel Love" blasting away. Gloria is alone, but certainly not lonely. She loves to dance, and she attracts the attention of others. Pretty soon, Gloria makes the acquaintance of Rodolfo, a sixty-something who is also divorced, yet emotionally still close to his ex-wife and even more so his two grown daughters. Meanwhile, we get to also know Gloria's grown kids: her son Pedro is taking care of a new baby, and her daughter Ana is involved with her boyfriend from Sweden. To tell you much more would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Several comments: first, this is one great 'little' movie about the free-spirited Gloria. One can't help but marvel at the "joie de vivre" which Gloria lives by, even if things are not always easy or don't always go her way. Second, what can you say about the towering performance from Paulina Garcia in the title role! She is in virtually every frame of the movie, and she will blow you away. She brings a daring performance on every level. Co-star Sergio Hernandez as romantic interest Rodolfo is pretty good too. Beware: there are a number of nude scenes between these two, which may make uncomfortable viewing for some. I must say that I am surprised--and disappointed--that Paulina Garcia, who has won a number of international prizes for this performance (including "Best Actress" at the 2013 Berlin Film Festival, where this movie premiered), did not even get nominated for a Best Actress Oscar. Third, there are a couple of key scenes in the movie that will stay with you, none better in my opinion than the awkward family reunion on Pedro's birthday, with Gloria's ex-husband and his new wife, and Gloria introducing Rodolfo to her family for the first time. Just watch what happens. Last but not least: there is a ton of great music in the movie, including of course Umberto Tozzi's late 70s classic "Gloria" (Laura Branigan's cover version a few years later became a monster hit in the US).

This movie reminded me of the 1978 classic "An Unmarried Woman" starring Jill Clayburgh (I think she even won the Best Actress Oscar for this). Certainly these two movies are similar in spirit, if nothing else. "Gloria" opened last weekend at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati, and when I went to see it this weekend, the matinée screening was surprisingly well attended, which is great news. If you are in the mood for a top-notch foreign movie with stellar performances, you cannot go wrong with this. "Gloria" is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!