Gloria
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Movie Reviews of Gloria
Movie Review: One of the best in the Gangster Genre
Summary: 5 Stars
Gloria remains one of director John Cassavetes most accessable films. It is also his most commercially successful, being one of 1980's biggest hits at the Box Office.
Cassavates cast his wife, Gena Rowlands in the title role of a former Mafiosa Moll trying to get on with a life, in a post Mob existence. This, however, is turned upside down when she finds herself with a six year old boy whose family has just been wiped out by the very Mob with whom she used to consort. Realising the magnitude of the situation, she cynically first of all tries to get rid of the lad but later forms a maternal bond with him. Both go on the run together from the Mob, in a desperate struggle to survive and flee the city. Before long, the Mob have despatched their hitmen. However, and unfortunately for the Mob, Gloria definitely ain't a lady for the burning, and instead is a very tough individual who uses her streetwise knowledge and considerable skill with a firearm to terrible effect. Soon a trail of Mob bodies begins to pile up as various gangsters lethally underestimate Gloria, in their attempts to snatch the boy....
Rowlands is simply superb in the role, and at times strides across the screen like a female Bogart. Her wardrobe complements this, and the overall effect is that of a tigress protecting its young. This is underlined by one scene where she guns down a hitman and retrieving his pistol, snarls contemptuously "Huh, he had to use a Magnum on me!"
The music by Bill Conti is superb and sax riffs have seldom sounded so good as in this film. Ultimately this is a bleak film to watch, colour is very subdued and the atmosphere is raw and gritty. The ending is very ambiguous and Cassavates has pretty much left it up to the viewer to interpret what is actually happening.
This is a truly great film though and I recommend it unreservedly.
Movie Review: My All-Time Favorite
Summary: 5 Stars
Who knew Cassavette's could make an action film, and a funny one at that? I love "Minnie and Moskowitz." I admire "A Woman Under the Influence,' and I weep over "A Child Is Waiting." But "Gloria" is still the best work Rowlands and Cassevettes did together. In my formative years, only five women got to pack heat: Pam Grier, Charlie's Angels and Angie Dickenson (ah "Police Woman" ...the memories). Then came "Gloria" in 1980. Critics at the time nicknamed this film "Dirty Harriet" for the multiple stadoffs at gun point. Roger Egbert in his year-in-review said this film gave him the single biggest laugh of any movie that year. Rowlands tears up the screen and takes no prisoners. She is off-set all through by a great wide-eyed performance from child actor John Adames--where is he now?
I could quote this film all day long: "Got a million bucks and this slow elevator." "Move it, you double-crossing little rat. Move it!" The opeinging credits feature a series of paintings done in child fashion by the great African-American painter Romare Beardon. The score features an orchestra, Spanish guitar and a Jewish cantor gets thrown into the mix. The film is a multi-ethnic valentine to New York City circa 1980. Watch for the moving tracking/crane shot that follows Gloria and Phil through the bus station depot, up an escalator and out into the street. Easily done today, it was a technical marvel in 1980.
God bless Sharon Stone's misguided attempt to remake this film: She was too young and pretty to make it work as a comedy.
Movie Review: He's just a neighbor's kid
Summary: 5 Stars
"I don't like kids and I hate yours." Gloria Swenson (Gena Rowlands) tells her neighbor when they ask her to help. But when they tell her they're in trouble with the mob, she takes their six year old son Phil (John Adames) and hides him.
Then, the parents are killed and the Gloria has to get herself and the kid out of there. It's not as easy as it looks, particularly for a woman who clearly doesn't have a maternal bone in her body. And Phil doesn't understand what's happened.
"It's all a bad dream," she tries to tell him, but pretty quickly, the reality gets even worse. The mob is after Gloria, who they know.
Odd pairing films are always fascinating, but this tough ex mob girl, who only wants to live out her life in peace, and young Puerto Rican kid together keep you riveted to the screen. Phil's understandably angry and Gloria doesn't know how to deal with him.
Gena Rowlands is an amazingly gifted actress and John Adames, who is only in this one film, does a great job, too. One warning, you start watching you will want to be sure you are not interrupted. And you might just want to share the film with friends as well.
Rebecca Kyle, March 2009
Movie Review: Fantastic.......
Summary: 5 Stars
I just finished watching The Notebook and there was Gena Rowlands and instantly I thought of this movie, thats where I first saw her, and just fell in love with this movie, it was an HBO movie and my daughter and I saw it so many times we could say most of the lines just as the actors were on film, The acting by Rowlands and the young boy is just so fantastic, shes so tough , and that little boy, he could tug at your heartstrings, I was on edge the whole time , you've read the other reviews to get the gist of the movie, I was thrilled that I could get it on DVD and when I called my daughter to tell her I bought it right away she started saying some of the lines that the little boy spoke ,and she hadnt seen it in over 12 years !!! so yes it was an unforgetable movie, its a movie you have to see if youre a Rowlands fan, even if youre not, if youre a fan about movies involving the mob,you wont be sorry, I cant wait to get it, ordered it 2 days ago, and look forward to seeing it another 20 times !!!!Movie Review: A spunky performance.
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this DVD because I remembered seeing this film back in high school and never quite forgot the dialogue or the bravado of Gena Rowlands performance. And it's this performance and the acting ability of this great artist which makes me glad I purchased it. I've already viewed this DVD several times and never get tired of this fast paced action drama about a female hero who unlike most heriones will surely never become quite domesticated in the end. This is what makes "Gloria" unique, along with the off-beat stylized direction of Gena Rowlands late husband John Cassevettes. The story takes place in Manhattan and the entire film serves as a representation of the late 1970's. Gena Rowlands goes all the way with this character, screaming at mobsters such lines as "You let a woman beat you" "uh." Despite such dialogue or maybe because of it(and the unique, progressive, and "classy" quality of this production) this film represents an overall entertaining experience. Highly Recommended!