Peter McGinn

Gloria Bell is first and foremost a character study that may be too subtle and methodical for a viewer who is not in the mood for a slower paced romantic drama. The story this movie tells is similar to plots I have created in a few of the novels I have written. I think of them as "slice of life" tales. The story is taken up at a certain point and we follow along with her life with ups and downs until the script jumps out of her life. This is a subtle way of telling a story, perhaps too subtle if you are watching with friends or not in the mood for it. It is like that line from The Big Chill where the William Hurt character explains about art, that you have to let it flow over you. Watching it closely reveals subtleties, such as when Gloria stops singing in her car, and then has to reclaim her joy. I will admit that sometimes the movie focuses on something too mundane, like her brushing her teeth, or that it leaves out too much, such as what happens to her at the Las Vegas hotel when she is on her own. If you haven't yet watched this movie, be patient and pay attention. There is a story worth watching here, even without violence, explosions or temper tantrums.