Gloria! (film)

Last updated

Gloria!
Cover of Gloria! film by Italian director Margherita Vicario 2024.jpg
Directed by Margherita Vicario
Written by
  • Margherita Vicario
  • Anita Rivarolli
Produced by
  • Valeria Jamonte
  • Manuela Melissano
  • Carlo Cresto-Dina
  • Katrin Renz
Starring Galatea Bellugi
CinematographyGianluca Palma
Edited byChristian Marsiglia
Music by
  • Margherita Vicario
  • Davide Pavanello
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • 21 February 2024 (2024-02-21)(Berlinale)
  • 11 April 2024 (2024-04-11)(Italy)
Running time
105 minutes
Countries
  • Italy
  • Switzerland
LanguageItalian
Box office$575,154 [2] [3]

Gloria! is a 2024 historical musical film Italian/Swiss international co-production co-written and directed by Margherita Vicario who also co-wrote the film's score in her directorial debut, and starring Galatea Bellugi, Carlotta Gamba, Veronica Lucchesi, Maria Vittoria Dallasta and Sara Mafodda. The film centres on a group of young musicians inventing pop music in the 18th century Italy. [4] [1] It is an international co-production between Italy and Switzerland.

Contents

Gloria! was selected to compete for the Golden Bear at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival, where it premiered on 21 February 2024 at Berlinale Palast. [5] The film was released in Italy on 11 April 2024. [6]

Synopsis

It is late 18th century in Venice. In an musical school for orphan girls (modelled on Vivaldi's Ospedale della Pietà)[ citation needed ] a servant, Teresa, loves hearing the music all around her. She finds a new piano-forte in a storeroom, and with four other girls of the school they begin to make music together, although one of the girls, Lucia, dislikes Teresa. To compromise, they take turns on the piano with an hourglass. Meanwhile, Perlina, the school's director, is trying to compose a work to welcome the new Pope.

The girls are aware that Perlina has not made headway with the composition and Lucia offers her work, only for Perlina to rudely decline her offer. She then receives a letter from her would-be betrothed's parents, saying that they are not in fact going ahead with the marriage. Upset by all of this, she attempts to commit suicide.

Perlina has sold the piano to pay for his friend's debts. Teresa discovers that the piano was given to the orphans, not to Perlina, and demands it back. She threatens to reveal that she was raped by the Governor and had her son taken away from her, if the piano is not given back and Lucia's composition not used for the Pope's performance.

At the performance, the girls lock Perlina behind the wall in order to perform their own piece of music. Chaos ensues, with many audience members enjoying it, some hating it, and the Pope angry. The Governor has a heart attack and dies.

The epilogue reveals Teresa living with her son and his step-mother, receiving a letter from the girls who have formed a successful travelling musical group.

Cast

Release

Gloria! had its world premiere on 21 February 2024 at 74th Berlin International Film Festival, where it was screened in the Main Competition category. [7] [8]

The film was released in Italy by 01 Distribution on 11 April 2024. [6] [2]

The film was also screened in 'Horizons' at the 58th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival on 28 June 2024. [9] [10] It was screened in 'Showcase' at the 2024 Vancouver International Film Festival on 27 September 2024. [11]

Reception

Box office

Gloria! grossed $156,786 during its opening weekend in Italy from 265 cinemas. [2]

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 83% of 6 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.0/10. [12]

Nicholas Bell in Ion Cinema rated the film with two and half stars and wrote, "With its joyful noise and winning streak of creative, rebellious women, Gloria! may often be pleasurable but could have used some tightening of the screws and heightening of dramatic stakes." [13]

Reviewing the film at Berlinale for ScreenDaily , Lee Marshall wrote: "One would need a tough skin not to be won over by the mischievous musical anachronism at the heart of Gloria! and the chemistry of the young female cast that delivers it." [14]

Guy Lodge wrote in Variety , "Ebullient musical sequences are the chief virtue of this peppy but sketchily scripted directorial debut from actor-musician Margherita Vicario. ... The soaring motivational message here wouldn’t be clipped by a little interior conflict on either side, but Gloria! is all about chasing the highest of high notes." [15]

Reviewing the film at Berlinale for Cineuropa, Savina Petkova wrote, "Not only that: Gloria! takes the utmost pleasure in empowering its female characters as women fed up with the uselessness of certain men in power, enough to then take matters into their own hands; a delightful aspiration to have and a form of pure joy to share with the biggest audiences on the biggest screen." [16]

Accolades

List of awards and nominations for Gloria!
Award or film festivalDateCategoryRecipientResultRef.
Berlin International Film Festival 25 February 2024 Golden Bear Gloria!Nominated [17]
GWFF Best First Feature Award Margherita Vicario Nominated [18]
Seattle International Film Festival 19 May 2024SIFF 2024 Official Competition :Grand Jury PrizeWon [19]
Nastro d'Argento 27 June 2024Best new director Margherita Vicario Nominated [20]
Best costumesMary MontaltoNominated
Best score Margherita Vicario, Davide PavanelloWon [21]
Globo d'oro 3 July 2024Best debut filmGloria!Won [22]

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References

  1. 1 2 Vicario, Margherita (22 January 2024). "Gloria!". Cineuropa . Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 "Gloria! (2024)". Box Office Mojo . IMDb . Retrieved 31 July 2024.
  3. "Gloria! (2024)". The Numbers . Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
  4. "Gloria!". tellfilm. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  5. Abbatescianni, Davide (22 January 2024). "The Berlinale unveils its Competition and Encounters titles". Cineuropa . Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  6. 1 2 Vivarelli, Nick (21 February 2024). "Margherita Vicario's Musical Comedy 'Gloria!' Scores Multiple Sales Ahead of Berlin Competition Bow". Variety . Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  7. Ntim, Zac (22 January 2024). "Berlin Reveals 2024 Competition Lineup: Rooney Mara, Mati Diop, Isabelle Huppert, Abderrahmane Sissako Movies Among Selection". Deadline . Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  8. "Gloria!". Berlinale. 6 February 2024. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  9. "Catalogue of Films – Horizons". The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. 28 June 2024. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  10. Kudlac, Martin (14 June 2024). "Karlovy Vary unveils the full line-up for its 58th edition". Cineuropa. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  11. "Gloria!". VIFF. 28 August 2024. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  12. "Gloria!". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved 30 July 2024. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  13. Nicholas Bell (21 February 2024). "Music of the Heart: Vicario Pays Symphonic Homage to Erased History". Ion Cinema. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
  14. Marshall, Lee (21 February 2024). "'Gloria!': Berlin Review". ScreenDaily . Retrieved 22 February 2024.
  15. Guy Lodge (22 February 2024). "'Gloria!' Review: Upbeat Italian Convent Drama Gives 18th-Century Baroque Standards a Girl-Power Pop Makeover". Variety . Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  16. Petkova, Savina (23 February 2024). "Review: Gloria!". Cineuropa. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  17. Rosser, Michael (22 January 2024). "Berlin film festival reveals 2024 competition line-up". ScreenDaily . Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  18. "GWFF Best First Feature Award". Berlinale. 1 February 2024. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  19. Lexi Carson (19 May 2024). "Seattle International Film Festival Awards Top Honors to 'Sing Sing,' 'Gloria!'". Variety . Retrieved 8 October 2024.
  20. Torlaschi, Valentina (10 June 2024). "Nastri d'Argento 2024, ecco le nomination". Box Office Biz (in Italian). Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  21. De Marco, Camillo (1 July 2024). "Io Capitano is named Best Film at the Nastri d'Argento Awards". Cineuropa . Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  22. Scarpa, Vittoria (4 July 2024). "There Is Still Tomorrow scoops the Italian Golden Globe for Best Film". Cineuropa. Retrieved 26 October 2024.