Movie No. 197 (2013): GLORIA

Gloria (2013)
Director: Sebastian Lelio
Cast: Paulina Garcia, Sergio Hernandez
In Spanish, with yellow English subtitles

Sometimes love's just ain't enough. But for a couple, a woman in his mid-50's and a man some years older than her, a "new relationship" is worth giving a try. They're both divorcees with grown-up children from previous marriage. The woman is Gloria, a richly layered character that, when carefully and meticulously played, can potentially give the actress am acting award. Paulina Garcia as Gloria gets the Best Actress plum from this year's Berlin Film Festival.  

I've seen movies about old couple in love. In a lot of cases, the romance is presented as cutesy. This movie avoids that manipulation. Instead, the movie tackles some realistic constraints with realistic extrapolations of such constraints' effects on the couple's relationship. It's quite clear that the couple are the type that refuse to disappear in the picture now that they're no longer young. This given adds another dimension to the movie's milieu. I like the way the movie opens with Gloria dancing in a crowd of strangers and the it way ends showing Gloria (still) dancing in a party of friends and strangers. On the one hand, I find the movie depressing; on the other, it's liberating.

This movie is Chile's entry in the Best Foreign Language Film category of the 86th Academy Awards.

Rating: 3.5/4.0

Date seen: December 30, 2013



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