Five years after the Chilean original, Sebastián Lelio decided to remake his own movie and direct an American version starring Julianne Moore as the main character. I have to admit to having liked this more than the version with Paulina García - both performances are equally formidable, but perhaps it's my personal admiration for the legendary Julianne Moore which caused me to feel more attached to Gloria's character in this film.
This is a film for a very special audience, and many viewers outside of that audience will probably find it difficult to relate to the everyday life troubles of a middle-aged woman struggling with sexuality, motherhood, health issues and work life (just look at the audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes or the negative comments on IMDb). I mainly watched this because of Julianne Moore and since I have really liked Sebastián Lelio's work so far, and I didn't regret it for a single second. Moore is perfect and gives one of the best performances of her career, which says a lot since she was so fantastic already in films such as "Still Alice", "Far from Heaven", "The Hours", "Magnolia" or "Boogie Nights".
"Gloria Bell" feels like it's about celebration of life. It's full of positivity; it is uplifting even in its sadder moments thanks to its poignant use of music, and a refreshing breath of vibrancy drifts through every single scene. An intimate and all around glorious character study from one of the best rising directors of the last decade, with one hell of a courageous and captivating final act.
