Gloria Bell *** (2018, Julianne Moore, John Turturro, Caren Pistorius, Michael Cera, Brad Garrett, Holland Taylor, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Rita Wilson, Chris Mulkey) – Movie Review

Sebastián Lelio remakes his own 2013 masterwork Gloria (2018) as Gloria Bell, just like Michael Haneke made his 1997 Funny Games as the 2007 English-language remake Funny Games. Gloria Bell offers a grand opportunity for Julianne Moore, as free-spirited, long-divorced woman in her Fifties seeking love at L.A. dance clubs, out of which she makes the proverbial five-course banquet.

Moore is of course a first-class, Oscar-winning actress, and she wasn’t going to mess up this opportunity, no way. Brilliant though she is, however, she is totally unable to erase memories of the marvellous Paulina García in the original. Moore even keeps the idea of the old lady specs Gloria always wears. With García, they seemed essential kit, part of herself, but with Moore they seem like a movie star acting prop.

And, equally, Lelio is totally unable to erase memories of the marvellous original film, though admittedly even then García was better than the tremendous film. This time Moore is considerably better than the moderate film.

John Turturro is also excellent as the new man in her life, divorced father Arnold, who seems to love Gloria Bell but can’t stop texting his grown-up kids and fretting over them, unlike Gloria Bell who hardly seems to care about her grown-up kids at all (though she does have a warm feeling towarsd her long-ago ex, which cause quite a bit of trouble with Arnold). Gloria Bell is very self-obsessed, not entirely an admirable or sympathetic heroine.

Other well-known actors also appear – Caren Pistorius, Michael Cera, Brad Garrett, Holland Taylor, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Rita Wilson, Chris Mulkey – and have little or nothing to do. Michael Cera is totally wasted as Gloria’s son Peter. The sidelining of other actors and characters is quite frustrating. Though of course that is all in order to keep all eyes on the film’s heroine, for whom everyone else seems a cypher.

García makes Gloria a figure of eternal optimism in life and love. Somehow Moore turns her into a tragic woman in the verge, which really isn’t what the material is about, and it makes the film darned depressing when the original was finally upbeat and life affirming. Moore makes Gloria into a Bergman character. That’s fine, but it is not the real Gloria, and certainly Gloria Bell is not a fun night out, though it can be faulted for thoughtfulness and intelligence.

Gloria Bell herself feels real. Moore lets us get to know her. But she’s not a fun person. García makes Gloria a person you’d love to invite to dinner.

For anyone who likes old pop tunes and disco songs, the soundtrack is a lovingly chosen treasure trove – from Ring My Bell and Never Can Say Goodbye, via No More Lonely Nights, Love Is in the Air, Alone Again (Naturally) and Total Eclipse of the Heart to of course Gloria.

The poem that Arnold reads to Gloria is called For a Young Friend Who Tried to Take His Own Life by Chilean poet Claudio Bertoni.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Movie Review

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com