Gloria Bell (2018)

Director: Sebastian Lelio
Stars: Julianne Moore, John Turturro, Caren Pistorius
Runtime: 102 minutes

Synopsis: A free-spirited woman in her 50s seeks out love at L.A. dance clubs.

Performances: 5/5
Screenplay: 4/5
Editing: 5/5
Cinematography: 4/5
Score/Soundtrack: 4/5

Verdict: Julianne Moore plays titular character Gloria Bell, a middle-aged woman seeking out love in Los Angeles, in this remake of a 2013 movie of (almost) the same name, both of which were directed by the talented Sebastian Lelio, also responsible for 2017's "A Fantastic Woman".

The beauty of this movie resides in its simplicity. It's not quite a character study, but the people in it, flawlessly portrayed by Moore and Turturro among others, are definitely what carry what can only be described as a very relatable plot. I sincerely believe that most people who watch it will find at least one element to relate to, and most of these elements were pretty well handled in my opinion. I say most because the narrative is not entirely free of cheese or scenes that feel kinda forced or inorganic. But I'd still say that the majority of it was light and very easy to connect with.

The LA setting was also beautifully captured through the film's music (except for one song choice that I felt was incredibly cheesy) and effortless yet effective cinematography. The flow of the narrative also never feels rushed and I was able to fully appreciate every single scene in what I truly consider a film that not enough people are talking about.

"Gloria Bell" is definitely a movie I'd recommend to pretty much everyone. The performances are great, the plot light and enjoyable, the themes relatable and mostly well fleshed out...  I've never seen the original "Gloria" but now I'm definitely eager to check that one out as well!  

FINAL GRADE: 7.5/10