Where to watch Gloria
1 Star
Venerable director Sidney Lumet takes on the thankless task of remaking John Cassavetes’ film, Gloria, from 1980. The original is a mixed bag and this remake is a terrible ‘updated’ take on the same story. It’s hard to witness a respected filmmaker like Lumet fail in such unspectacular fashion. Gloria is a cinematic example that even the ‘greats’ fall on their collective faces. Gloria is a mess of a film and a grueling experience to endure. Sharon Stone is laughably bad and she’s the best thing in the picture.
Recent parolee Gloria (Sharon Stone) returns to New York after serving three years in prison covering for her gangster boyfriend, Kevin (Jeremy Northam). Now, she wants the money she was promised for not squealing in custody. But Kevin is not the person she left and he refuses her payout. In Kevin’s base of operations, she finds 7-year-old Nicky (Jean-Luke Figueroa), whose family has been murdered by the mobsters’ goons. Nicky is hanging onto a computer disk that contains evidence that could incriminate the gang. So Gloria kidnaps Nicky and the evidence. Now on the run in the city, the cynical ex-convict, and the young boy grow close while hatching a plan that could save both of their lives.
Gloria is so painfully dull that it’s amazing anyone thought there was still relevancy to this material. The story is so cliched, we’ve seen this done better on television shows, not to mention the picture is visually uninteresting. Lumet and Stone should have combined their considerable talents on a project that would have been worthwhile to both them and audiences. Gloria is a dud.
Director: Sidney Lumet
Stars: Sharon Stone, Jeremy Northam, Cathy Moriarty