A story set in Santiago and centered on Gloria, a free-spirited older woman, and the realities of her whirlwind relationship with a former naval officer whom she meets out in the clubs.
The mesmerising García and sensitive direction by Lelio light up this delicate yet spiky drama. Terrific stuff from both Chileans.
Sticking tightly to its heroine’s everyday routines and rituals, this deft blend of humour and pathos fully earns its defiantly upbeat dance-floor denouement.
Gloria is a sad, painful romantic story.
Vague, shmague. We left the cinema with a smile so wide.
A gentle, plaintive character study elevated by a glowing central performance.
What follows is a fine character study of someone who is at a stage in her life where knowing the difference between a desire for a relationship and a desperation not to be alone is becoming harder to work out.
Like its heroine, Sebastian Lelio’s film is warm and surprisingly sprightly, and although it gets a little too pointed in the third act, Garcia and some great set pieces make this an unashamed crowd-pleaser.
Both director and star keep it mysterious; this leaves as strange and complicated a taste as Claire Denis's Beau Travail.
Sebastian Lelio
Edinburgh Filmhouse, Edinburgh from Friday November 1, 2013, until Thursday November 7, 2013. More info: www.filmhousecinema.com