GB

The beautiful part about GLORIA BELL is that there is never a question as to what big thing is needed to turn Gloria’s life around. Life happens and she lives it—she’s a woman who knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to speak up and call people out on their insensitive behaviour. But within that is also a woman who gets deeply hurt by the sting of rejection and feels the pain of growing apart from her children. Much of how she lives can be summed up to her response to the question “Are you happy?,” to which she says sometimes she is and sometimes she’s not, just like anybody else. To be able to fall back into the feeling of joy whenever possible is the wonderful ability Gloria carries with her, and it is the lifeblood of this story. Gloria may not always be happy, but she is free, and seeing her experience that freedom is an absolute thrill.

There is something special about such a careful and loving character study such as this one; a welcome departure from Lelio’s more provocative (and rather unsuccessful) previous outing, DISOBEDIENCE—and to a lesser extent, even A FANTASTIC WOMAN. It is particularly great to see mundanity and quiet moments brought alive and made so engaging, especially while emphasizing a demographic that isn’t always given such close attention. Lelio does a phenomenal job portraying a woman who is sexual and outspoken, but simultaneously introspective and questioning. It’s the kind of film that gets you thinking about life and what is worth our time, but when those thoughts get overwhelming, leads you to the dance floor.

This is the movie for me, this month. For sure. Identify....a lot. Separated at birth. :  )