Gloria (1999)

REVIEW
Cockamamie. For those who found Gus Van Sant's Psycho remake unnecessary, this one rates as downright unlawful. Why Lumet would tamper with John Cassavetes' gritty thriller is incomprehensible. Stone (sporting an accent which suggests she's from Queens and Boston) now plays the title character originated by Gena Rowlands, a gangster's moll who's just out of prison. When a young boy's family is rubbed out by the mob looking for an incriminating disc, Gloria takes it upon herself to protect the youth, and she, the boy and the disc end up on the run. She finds dead ends, danger and a maternal instinct. Everything from the art design to the mix of comedy, drama and suspense fails completely. Stone, who was staggering in Casino, is as annoying as gout here. And the ending is a complete muck-up. Another instance to stick to the original.