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Reel Conversations

"Gloria" (2013)

We’ll discuss Chilean director Sebastian Lelio’s acclaimed drama about the personal evolution of a 58-year-old divorcee, a film that achieved the rare feat of a 100% positive Rotten Tomatoes score.

Please note that attendees must watch the film beforehand; there will be no library screening. DVD copies of the film will be available at the Peapack and Gladstone branch.

Gloria is a 58-year-old divorcee living in Santiago, Chile – a “woman of a certain age” who still feels young inside. Divorced, with grown children, she is often lonely but makes the best of her situation by spending her nights at social dance clubs for singles. Her fragile happiness changes the day she meets the quiet yet virile Rodolfo (Sergio Hernández). Their intense passion, to which Gloria gives her all, leaves her overjoyed and hopeful about life once again – until she finds out he might be hiding something from her. It is then that Gloria rediscovers her true inner strength and realizes that in her impending golden years, she just might shine brighter than ever.

Led by Chilean actress, stage director and playwright Paulina García’s brave, vibrant lead performance – which won multiple awards including the prestigious Silver Bear for Best Actress at the Berlin International Film Festival – Gloria is an honest, unvarnished, ultimately uplifting look at mid-life independence. 

Directed by Sebastián Lelio, whose acclaimed film A Fantastic Woman earned a 2018 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

Since its original release, Gloria has become a critical darling, achieving the rare feat of a 100% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

“Gloria is a near-perfect film – a celebration of unquenchable energy.” – The Los Angeles Times

"Marvelously directed by Lelio and beautifully led by a powerful performance from Paulina Garcia, Gloria takes an honest, sweetly poignant look at a type of character that's all too often neglected in Hollywood." – Variety 

"It’s hard to imagine anyone with a heart and a brain not responding to the quiet delights and stunning intimacy of Sebastian Lelio’s account of the personal evolution of a 58-year-old divorcee, played with scrupulous honesty and intelligence by the wonderful Paulina Garcia.” – The Hollywood Reporter

"Funny, melancholy and ultimately uplifting, Sebastian Lelio's enormously satisfying spell inside the head and heart of a middle-aged woman never puts a foot wrong.” – Screen International

Watch the trailer.

Runtime: 1h 50m | Rated R | In Spanish and Macedonian with English subtitles

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