Gloria (**3/4) [screening]

Gloria (Paulina García) is divorced woman in her 50s who likes to sing old songs and dance to old disco music in clubs in Santiago. She meets a man there who seems kind, if too involved in the lives of his adult daughters and ex-wife. This sympathetic portrait of a woman trying to make a life for herself eventually coalesces into a story, but as Gloria’s life is fairly ordinary and the script doesn’t offer any great insights into middle-aged womanhood, it’s slow going until the central conflict finally arrives.

IMDb link

viewed 10/20/13 5:50 PM at Ritz East [Philadelphia Film Festival] and posted 10/20/13

Mirageman (***)

A Chilean bodyguard whose sense of justice was honed when his parents were murdered turns himself into a self-styled savior. He’s got lots of fighting skills, but soon realizes he’s all too human. The story’s played for some gentle humor, but sincerity wins out in this original, reality-based spin on the superhero genre. The fight scenes aren’t extraordinary, but they’re as solid as star Marko Zaror’s lithe body. I don’t suppose this’ll get a non-DVD, non-film festival release in the US, but it has the elements to connect with both a mainstream and art-house audience.

IMDB link

viewed 4/4/08; reviewed 4/4 and 4/6/08; screened at Philadelphia Film Festival