Gloria Bell

2013's Gloria was a joyous celebration of a free-spirited divorcee, a film pulsating with an irresistible energy and warmth that made it a certified arthouse hit and foreign language nominee at the Oscars. So it was with a mixture of trepidation and excitement that we learned director Sebastian Lelio, fresh from the success of A Fantastic Woman and Disobedience, would be returning to direct an American remake, with an all-star cast to boot.

But it is a relief to report that, contrary to popular fears, Gloria Bell is a triumph of a film. And this is all down to one key ingredient: Julianne Moore. This is her film from beginning to end and she is simply sensational. It is impossible not to be instantly captivated by her presence on screen, and, rather than simply rehashing Paulina Garcia's wonderful performance that so electrified the 2013 original, Moore brings her own unique energy to the character of Gloria to more than justify the existence of this remake. 

From the film's low points to its most euphoric highs (the latter moments mostly set to 80s classic anthems), Moore relishes every single second of raw emotion and energy that makes Gloria such an extraordinary character. The actor doubles down on an illustrious career playing emotionally strained characters by delivering another fantastically diverse performance, whether she be lighting up the dancefloor or straining to maintain contact with her children.

Elsewhere the cast is surprisingly eclectic, with John Turturro injecting the role of recent divorcee Arnold with a subtle mixture of awkward charm, Michael Cera (excellent as always) making a surprising appearance as Gloria's increasingly distant son Peter, and brief but entertaining appearances from Sean Astin and Brad Garrett. 




But ultimately, this is Moore's show and, with Lelio maintaining the pared back story and unfussy visuals of the 2013 original, she dominates. As Lelio remarked in a recent interview, "the game of this film was to take a character that would be a secondary character in a standard film... the camera here stays with Gloria." With the recent #MeToo scandal highlighting the issues surrounding women in film, Lelio's remake could not have come at a better time, tackling the cinematic void of films that center on middle aged women with a trademark flair and vivacity.

Lelio also maintains the floating, almost dreamlike mood that so energised the original film, helped in no small part this time round by the excellent soundtrack from Matthew Herbert. Having previously provided the musical backing for the director's previous projects A Fantastic Woman and Disobedience, the electronic musician again boasts his soundtrack skills with this beautiful, fluttering score that perfectly mirrors the character of Gloria, injecting the film with a delicious mixture of warmth and energy through the liberal usage of fluttering violins and lush synth chords. This is a film that often revolves around transience and uncertainty about the future, and Herbert evokes these feelings perfectly.

In fact, much of the film revolves around music in general, whether it be Gloria's late night disco dances or her renditions of classic pop tunes on her drive to work. It is as if we are tuned in to an intimate soundtracking of Gloria's life, whether she be up or down, and it is a soundtrack that is hard to resist. The loose structure of sequences is reflective of Gloria's rollercoaster life, something that is reflected by this diverse soundtrack. At times heartbreaking, often exciting, sometimes beautiful, this is a truly transformative piece of cinema.

English-language remakes have always been a touchy subject. It has always felt pointless and cynical to rehash a film in order to reach a wider market, and you often risk losing much of the power of the original (see Funny Games, Oldboy, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo). So it really speaks volumes of both Lelio and Moore that Gloria Bell feels not only necessary but vital. Even though it treads very closely to the original in terms of its set-pieces and progression, the two could arguably be seen as wonderful companion pieces to each other, painting gorgeous depictions of the lives of two extraordinary women, one from Santiago, the other from LA. 


I've always been such a sucker for an all-encompassing character study and Lelio has once again crafted a beautiful and irresistibly vibrant portrait of an extraordinary woman that reaffirms his status as one of our most exciting filmmakers working today. Lelio lets his characters do the talking, and boy does Gloria have a lot to say. 

But ultimately, this is the Julianne Moore show, and it is hard to overstate just how phenomenal she is here. The story goes that Julianne Moore loved the original and would only star in a remake if Lelio returned to direct. They are a perfect match.