Gloria is a Chilean-Spanish drama film by Sebastián Lelio. The film premiered in competition at the 63rd Berlin International Film Festival where Paulina Garcia (Gloria) won the Silver Bear for Best actress. The Film is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser and will propel the filmmaker on the international scene at TIFF.

Set in Santiago, Chile, Gloria tells the story of a 58 year old divorcee whose children are grown. Gloria is very active, experiencing yoga, dancing, singing and loves to spend her evenings at singles’ nights looking for affection (and maybe something more). Her desires materialize when she meets Rodolfo (Sergio Hernández), an ex-naval officer seven years her senior to whom she feels romantically inclined. The film’s accomplishment is inseparable from Paulina García’s performance in the lead role, which is so splendidly enchanting, the film is full of delightful scenes and peppered with witty humor, such as Gloria’s experimenting with pot for the first time and its depiction of sexuality is as tactful and affecting as it is frank, almost too frank at times for me. Anyway, the filmmaker never leaves Gloria’s eyes; his goal is always to focus on her melancholy struggle against loneliness with affectionate humor and bittersweet optimism. It’s a film full of delicate observations on Gloria’s everyday life, her behaviors, her likable naiveté, her dinners with family and friends, the relationships she has build around her and the children she raised, contributing to the cycle of life.

Gloria is an effective film that leaves you with a respect for age and the romance that could comes with it. The soundtrack belongs to Gloria’s generation, ranging from disco to 
boleros to the Laura Branigan’s hit “Gloria.” Recommended.

Christophe Chanel

Shown at this year’s TIFF13 : Toronto International Film Festival.