Gloria

Audience Reviews

View More (152)

Wayne K Of all the films that husband-and-wife team John Cassavetes and Gena Rowland made together, Gloria is viewed by many as the most commercial and mainstream. It’s a film he didn’t even want to direct, but even with that in mind he does a pretty damn good job. The movie has a very naturalistic feel to it, with the camerawork, performances and dialogue feeling unrehearsed and spontaneous. John Adames has gotten a lot of flack for his performance which is, to be fair, the weakest link in the film, but since he was only about 6 years old there was only so much you could have done. He’s got a squeaky, hitch pitched voice and talks like an adult that’s been shrunk down, spouting dialogue that no child would actually say. That being said he does have an entertaining chemistry with Gena Rowland, a woman with zero maternal instinct whose quest for escape soon becomes one of rescue. The plot is pretty thin, and the gangsters who are after our leads either have spies on every street corner or have control over satellites, because they always manage to pop up at the right place at the right time, i.e. whenever we need an action sequence. It might be a relatively minor film in Cassavetes’ body of work, but for 2 hours it takes you on quite the ride, and even if it doesn’t match up to his other pictures, I think you’ll be glad you’ve watched it. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 07/02/25 Full Review Harrison R Beautiful scenery and music. Good performance from Gena Rowlands. Cool plot. Bad direction to the actor John Adames, whose performance was very bad as a result. Also, a bunch of scenes seemed to be missing that would explain really arbitrary-seeming choices by Gloria. Not bad though. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 12/22/24 Full Review Cynthia C The chaotic storyline is about as real as you can get. Just like real life, nothing is pat and people don't act in expected ways. Direction and music are as wild as New York's heart. Gena Rowland's and John Adames' dialog is true to their characters, a tough, reluctant rescuer and a wiseass orphan, surviving amid perpetual danger and trauma. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 08/25/24 Full Review Audience Member One of my all-time favorite films. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/27/24 Full Review Alec B Obviously Rowlands is iconic in nearly every moment she's on screen but its Cassavetes' direction that gives the movie its edge. Most other directors would end up making something more predictable and maudlin. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/09/24 Full Review Michael F Yes, there are a few problems with the script and some unbelievable situations but it's well worth watching for the magnificent performance by Gena Rowlands. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/20/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Gloria

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Most Popular at Home Now