A sad truth about the world of movies is that women older than 35 are rarely protagonists. There is the occasional Meryl Streep who breaks this tendency, but still. Not only is Gloria unusual in this sense, it is unusual in other respects as well: its portrayal of gender is, I think, much more nuanced than what you usually see in movies. And also, more importantly: Gloria is a good film. Sebastián Lelio has crafted an engaging and also heart-warming and even (in a good way) uplifting story about a woman who tries to find a direction in life.
Gloria - fabulously played by Pauline Garcia - is recently divorced. Her kids are grown and they have their own lives. Gloria meets Rodolfo at a nightclub. He is the passionate cassanova. They enter into a relationship and it is clear that Gloria has some hopes about it. Rudolfo is more detached. Gloria is frustrated about his lack of commitment and his tangled family life. What is so brilliant in the film is that Rudolfo and Gloria are complicated characters. Rodolfo may be an asshole, but the film gently portrays his insecurities as well as his romantic advancements. Gloria's hopes are not rendered into desperation but the film hints at her inability to see early warning signs about the guy and somehow, she can be said to be as selfish as he is. We see the stakes and the hurt. The film is on her side without glossing over disconcerting foibles and tendencies. Gloria works a boring job and at night the mentally troubled neighbor's cat comes to visit. She sings cheesy pop songs in her car and takes Rodolfo with her to a family dinner that ends in disaster. Gloria touches on many themes without being unfocused. It is driven by situations, rather than narrative and Lelio's direction of these detailed situation is superb, as he always manages to put entire worlds into these - often rather ordinary - situations. Gloria is a delightful film: sad and funny at the same time.
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