Sebastián Lelio is a Chilean writer/director that has had little exposure in North America outside of last year’s Disobedience starring Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams. The racy romantic drama captured the attention of critics and audiences with its scandalous subject matter and great acting. Riding that wave of notoriety, Lelio has adapted his Spanish-speaking hit, Gloria (2013), for mainstream English-speaking audiences in the United States. Gloria Bell hopes to maintain its form in the American re-imagining.
Gloria (Julianne Moore) works in a professional setting by day but lets her hair down and her inhibitions run free by night as she seeks out fun, romance and acceptance in the dark melodic clubs around Los Angeles. She is a divorcee with two adult children, each of which are having life crises of their own, and a social life that seems to be fruitless at the moment. Gloria’s normal routine is upended when she meets Arnold (John Turturro) while out dancing and enjoying the music as always.
Gloria and Arnold seem to be in similar stages of their respective lives and there is a strong attraction between the two. In the process of trying to navigate the perils of mid-life dating, the pair find that living a happy couple life is not without its pitfalls. Gloria Bell is a lesson in how life just continues to through you obstacles no matter how well-prepared you think you are. You just have to live, love and learn.
Sebastián Lelio made a smart move in securing Julianne Moore as his lead actor in Gloria Bell. She fills the screen with a mesmerizing performance as someone that completely embraces this crossroad and understands the tolls it takes on ones life. From an acting standpoint, this film gets high marks from me. With the likes of John Turturro, Michael Cera, Alanna Ubach, Brad Garrett, Rita Wilson, Jeanne Tripplehorn and Sean Astin, this is truly a talented ensemble cast. Each actor pours his or her heart out on the screen for audiences to find something that they themselves can cling to and find solace in that “there’s someone else out there going through these same things.”
Unfortunately, the overall melancholic is too much of a downer that prevents true enjoyment. Gloria Bell feels like four episodes of Seinfeld strung together with the comedy or witty banter. And this may be a case of a film doing too good of a job trying to get the emotional impact just right. It takes any chance of joy right out of the equation. Thankfully, there’s some really good music to help take your mind off of things for a few moments. That and the fact that Julianne Moore is spectacular in this role.
As for the question of whom Gloria Bell tolls? Well, I’d say that it’ll be for a more mature crowd that can appreciate its slow and deliberate pace towards its non-gratifying conclusion. The soundtrack is great, the acting is good but the story is like a slow constant dull ringing of depression that you can’t get out of your head. I wouldn’t put this in the “entertaining” category, “enduring” would be a much better fit. You can check this one out in theaters now or just wait to watch it in the comfort of your own home (I’m all for Team Option B).
