It's telling that Sebastian Leilo's Gloria Bell has a 94% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, according the to critics, but only a 47% rating according to audience members. Why the discrepancy? I believe it's because the previews for Gloria Bell advertise a slightly different type of story than what you experience during the actual movie. The previews tell a story of a radiant, middle-aged woman (Julianne Moore, a revelation of humanity in this film), Gloria, who falls for a kind, lonely man, Arnold (John Turturro, wonderful as always). The actual movie depicts a story slightly more complicated, but nonetheless absolutely beautiful and deeply empathetic.
Leilo, who has quickly become one of my favorite directors, based this film on his own 2013 film, Gloria, which basically is the same plot but set in Chile (Leilo's country of origin). In this Americanized update, Gloria Bell is a stunning woman in her 50s who is divorced with two grown kids (Michael Cera and Caren Pistorius) and a pretty fulfilling life without a partner. She does well at her job at an insurance company, takes "laughing yoga" classes where groups of women engage in laughter exercises, and goes out to a disco that caters to middle-aged men and women. Gloria is the woman I aspire to be at that age: grounded, kind, strong, and quirky enough to engage in activities that keep life fun and interesting.
When she meets Arnold at the disco, they hit it off immediately, making love the first night they meet. Arnold is more recently divorced and seems glued to his constantly-ringing phone. But he also owns a paintball park and teaches Gloria to shoot a paintball gun and then reads Spanish poetry to her. He's fun and cute (he's John Turturro giving serious DILF vibes) even if he is a bit quiet and depressed.
*** Spoilers***
But the red flags start flying when Gloria brings Arnold to her son's birthday party and he reveals the level of dependency his ex-wife and adult daughters have on him. They don't work, they emotionally abuse him, and he's still very tied to them in an unhealthy way. Additionally, Arnold can't deal with meeting Gloria's ex-husband (Brad Garrett in an excellent small role), who is a bit of a sad sack himself, but very vocal about how much he and Gloria were in love back in the old days. Without telling anyone, Arnold leaves the party. Gloria is worried, then humiliated, then angry. But Arnold desperately tries to get a second chance, only to blow it a second time in a hugely spectacular way.
Despite these blows, Gloria never loses her sense of dignity and humor. Even when she's falling down drunk after a massive disappointment, you know that this is an adventure for her, not a defeat. And you know that the only one who deserves to feel embarrassed is Arnold who throws away an amazing woman to be at the beck and call of his emotionally destructive ex and wretched daughters.
***end spoilers***
What makes Gloria Bell so different from all those other "women of a certain age" films like It's Complicated and Something's Gotta Give is that this film is so much more true to life, and yet not a downer even when things get rough for the characters. It hits the sweet spot between "real" and "hopeful". Gloria LOVES dancing, and even when she's down on her luck, music is something she can always turn to. The film may be a bit "Hollywood" in the sense that Moore honestly has the body of a 30 year old (you see a lot of her hot bod in this movie), but otherwise is one of the least Hollywood depictions of middle-aged love and life I've seen. It revels the beauty to be found in the small things, like taking a yoga class or drinking a cold martini or hearing "Gloria" by Laura Branigan on the radio.
I've heard people lament aging not only because of the physical and health aspects of getting older, but also because once you've had X number of experiences, life stops being fresh and interesting. I personally feel that life is as exciting as we choose to make it--there's no rule that says we can't try new things or seek pleasure as we age. There's no rule that says we can't find joy in the mundane. There's no rule that says we can't have sex and create new friendships and romances as we age. Realistically, many people are single in middle-age, especially these days. Divorce numbers are down, but they're still high. So my question to you, reader is this: if you end up "alone" in your 40s, 50s, or older, what are you going to do? Personally, I hope I "go down dancing" like Gloria Bell says she wants to. Because I know that age really is just a mindset and that life has the potential to be fun, joyous, and meaningful until the end.
Grade: A
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