Gloria Film Difficulty Ranking: 3
If you think life is all downhill as you get older, think again, and watch Gloria. The magic of Paulina Garcia’s Gloria shows that middle aged life is whatever you make of it – it can be awesome as any other part of your life. She dances, goes bungee jumping, does yoga, and goes out with whoever she wants – she’s truly an independent woman.
From: Chile, South America
Watch: Trailer, Amazon Rent, Amazon Buy
Next: A Fantastic Woman, Tony Manero, Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore
Why Watch Gloria?
- If you think life only goes downhill at 50
- For throwback music, dancing, and karaoke in the car
- To see Paulina Garcia’s excellent performance as Gloria
- For Chilean love poetry – Neruda isn’t the only one in Chile who writes love poetry
The Breakdown
In the first 5 minutes we see Gloria alone at a busy club full of middle aged people. She’s alone sitting at the bar but slowly works her way over to one man who she knows from 10 years ago but he doesn’t recognise her. The director cuts from them complementing each other on their looks, to them dancing, to Gloria walking out the bar alone.
It immediately implies that she’s a lonely 50 something who is looking for something but does not quite know what that is. She’s confident enough to dance with old acquaintances but not desperate enough for a one night stand. Her insecurities are confirmed in the following scenes, when she shoves a cigarette in her mouth after her daughter quickly leaves to go out with her boyfriend instead of chat with her, and also in her short, distanced visit to her son. She doesn’t seem able to make a strong bond with any of the other characters.
However the following scenes show us the other more confident side of Gloria. She loudly sings along to power ballads alone in the car, dances in the bar alone, and successfully seduces another man. In the opening 20 mins Lelio shows glimpses the confidence and insecurity of Gloria, quickly building her character for the rest of the film.
gloria – the gift that keeps on giving
Gloria is forever upbeat and happy. She’s worth watching just to show you that life continues to be full and exciting after you hit 50. Just when you think she’s heading for a downer the director, Sebastian Lelio cuts to her living life to the full. He cuts from her date talking about his gastric bypass to see Gloria bungee jumping. He also cuts from her lonely walk home after her first night out to her passionately singing in the car. Each of these moments indicate her ability to remain upbeat, although they also hint at a fragility – is she forcing happiness to drown out any negativity? If so, can her constant positivity last?
Lelio also always uses subtlety to indicate the feelings of Gloria. Look out for each time she takes out a cigarette and each time she laughs.
What to Watch Next
If you’re looking for more films by Sebastian Lelio, I strongly recommend checking out his Academy Award winner, A Fantastic Woman, which focuses on a grieving transgender woman.
You could also check out Pablo Larrain’s Tony Manero. It’s another Chilean film focusing on a middle aged protagonist, however this one is a bit more tense. The protagonist always puts me on edge.
Or if you’re looking for more films about middle aged protagonists looking for love, check out An Unmarried Woman or Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore.
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