The Glorias

The Glorias

The Glorias-480P

Wonderful Bio-Docu-movie. As a man, I'm THANKFUL, that "WOMEN" of ALL RACES & ECONOMIC BACKGROUNDS, HAVE NEVER STOP FIGHTING for FREEDOM, EQUALITY, RESPECT & SO MUCH MORE.... TO COME ... We "ALL," are benefactors of THEIR FIGHT. THANK YOU, for, continually, trying to make this a BETTER WORLD.

Unfocused but well acted; "The Glorias" pays homage to a feminist icon with a talented cast but the final product is far from being iconic. In this drama, feminist icon Gloria Steinem recounts her itinerant childhood's influence on her life as a writer, activist and organizer for women's rights worldwide. Based on a true story. I can appreciate director Julie Taymor's vision (except for that "Wizard Of Oz" sequence, which was a bit much), but "The Glorias" leans more on the messy side rather than being wholly empowering. However the cast is great; Julianne Moore is terrific, Alicia Vikander delivers a solid performance, but Bette Midler is the scene stealer and kicks serious ass in her role. An inspiring and interesting story but overly long and uneven. Follow @snobmedia for more reviews!

Was looking forward to this film but was horribly let down. Did Gloria approve this production it's shameful and boring. So sad this story they could have been inspiring was a drain and the exact opposite.

This has no focus, it rambles, it is incoherent. If we didn't know about Gloria, we would not have been able to figure out the story. It has scattered pieces as if they needed minutes of filler. My husband laughed in one scene, when there appeared to be a witch or ghost and some red lighting and a man sweating, and asked "am I watching the Wizard of Oz". Super stupid. Sorry, I want my money back. How could Julianne Moore let this garbage go out?

Greetings again from the darkness. Who hasn't dreamt of having a conversation with their younger self in hopes of instilling some wisdom to improve the forthcoming life decisions? Writer-director Julie Taymor (FRIDA, 2002) and co-writer Sarah Ruhl have adapted Gloria Steinem's autobiography, "My Life on the Road", and use cross-country bus trips as a vehicle allowing Ms. Steinem to chat with herself at four different stages of life. The feminist icon and activist is played by four actors: Oscar winner Julianne Moore, Oscar winner Alicia Vikander, Lulu Wilson ("The Haunting of Hill House"), and Ryan Kiera Armstrong as the youngest Gloria. Childhood is called the formative years for a reason, and we do get a taste of how Gloria's nomadic hustler of a father Leo (Timothy Hutton), and her mother Ruth (Enid Graham) influence the woman she became. Her father (referring to himself as Steinomite) explained that travel is the best education, while her mother struggled with mental instability after being forced to give up her writing career. Bucking the male-dominated world began in the era portrayed by Ms. Vikander, and it takes up most of the first half of the film. Discrimination and harassment were commonplace as she fought to be taken seriously as a journalist and writer. This portion includes her trip to India, where she was heavily influenced by the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi. In addition, we see Gloria's time as a (undercover) Playboy bunny, and the reactions that her corresponding article caused. Ms. Moore is on screen much of the second half, including the founding of "Ms." magazine, and her affiliation with other activists like Dorothy Pitman Hughes (Janelle Monae), Flo Kennedy (Lorraine Toussaint), Wilma Mankiller (Kimberly Guerrero, "Seinfeld"), and of course, Bella Abzug (Bette Midler). There's a moment on the bus when Ms. Moore's Gloria tells her younger self, Ms. Vikander's Gloria, "Speaking your mind will get you into trouble." It sounds like a warning, but in fact, it's motivation for what's to come. Ms. Taymor's film cuts between periods of Steinem's life with the multiple Glorias in action. The bus rides are an interesting choice as looking out the windows we (and Gloria) sees the streets of New York, the palette of India, miles of nature, and even her own father on the road in his car. Outside is filled with the colors of life, while inside the bus, the colors are muted, often black and white. We see actual clips of the 1963 March on Washington DC, including Mahalia Jackson, and the 1977 National Women's Conference. It just feels like something's missing here - like the movie doesn't have the heft Ms. Steinem deserves. Sometimes Ms. Taymor's approach is a bit too artsy for the story, and there is only a brief mention of Ms. Steinem's nemesis, Phyllis Schlafly ... despite much attention to abortion and women's rights. Gloria's passion for issues is clear, and we note her motivation to transform an environment that stifled her mother. The film's music comes from Oscar winner Eric Goldenthal, and the cinematography from Rodrigo Prieto, frequent collaborator of Martin Scorsese and other elite directors. The timing is spot on for the film given contemporary issues, including the opening on the Supreme Court created by the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Despite this, the film might just be a bit too nice, or too lightweight given the history, accomplishments and impact of Gloria Steinem (who has a cameo appearance on the bus).

I really enjoyed this film! Brilliant performances by the cast, I especially enjoyed seeing native American actress Kimberly Guerrero!

What a beautifully and engaging well crafted film--It is EXACTLY what is needed right now. I am so completely impressed with the writing, the casting, the acting and the super creative sequences and montages. Bravo--thank you to the film team and cast for giving us this gift of a film!

My husband and I absolutely loved this movie, however I suggest watching this in two goes as it is a long movie. What a wonderful montage of Gloria Steinems remarkable life to date. Creative scenes in which she talks to older or younger versions of herself. Interjections of artistic anime scenes keep things light. Wonderful depiction of all of the forward thinking women from every background and walk of life pushing for equal rights. Truly inspiring film.