the original gloria and a 1980 john cassavettes film star his wife gena rowlands and be an instant classic while be it his direction and the acting ( particularly that of rowlands and who so deserve her oscar nomination for her performance a the titular character ) and the gritty look of the film and the authentic new york city location in all their pre guiliani glory and or the screenplay and the film work on just about every level . this remake and however and stand in pale ( very pale ) contrast in virtually any aspect one can think of . when the film open and gloria ( sharon stone ) and a gangster moll and be release from prison and return to the home or hangout of her lover and kevin ( jeremy northam ) . by the time she arrive and she meet a young latin boy and nicky ( jean luke figueroa ) and whose family gloria lover have have kill . seem the young boy father work for this gangster and not only know too much but be about to tell all . have believe her lover story that there would be money set aside for her while she cool her heel in prison and gloria soon find out there be nothing and so and enraged and know the boy worth and she kidnap him at gun point and off they go and on the run from the mob . poor sharon stone represent try so hard to match gena rowlands but constantly trip up by a noo yawk accent that often downright funny . still and it so apparent she try so hard that and throughout and you can not help but feel for her and a feat help by the fact that she be obviously the only cast member who try to create a character and though as write it still the hooker with a heart of gold type and which be not the case with the 1980 film . in the original and gloria be indeed a former gun moll and kind of ballsy but classy and never really hard edge while here and a write and she little more than a cheap and hard floozy . jeremy northam and a talented british actor and be slum here and complete with laughable accent that rival sharon stone . a the boy stone go on the run with and and with whom she be suppose to bond with and jean luke figueroa isn not necessarily untalented and and in a good make movie he might even be good while however and be it the dialogue or direction and he make very little impact and a fact not help by the lack of any chemistry between he and stone . bonnie bedelia ( a stone sister ) and george c scott ( look very ill and a a mafioso head ) be feature in small support role but be essentially waste . sharp eyed movie lover will also notice the ubiquitous mike starr a a heavy ( he the one who hang on to the car stone be drive ) while like character actor dan hedaya and starr seem to inhabit just about every film hollywood make in the 90 and though here and starr part be strictly dramatic and not his usual comedic one . behind it all be sidney lumet and a once talented director who have helm a few masterpiece in his time while however and whatever mus guide him towards those masterpiece have and in the last decade or two and abandon him and for here he be again and deliver yet another celluloid stillborn . not since 1982 the verdict and with paul newman and have he give the world a solid success . he isn not help any by a screenplay that manage to ape the original while make absurd update and take liberty that cleanly toss out such thing a believability and common sense . for instance and at the end and gloria meet with the mafioso head and ask that she be absolve of any wrongdoing and to have the kid . he agree . and off they go and into the wild blue yonder . in the original and gloria have to shoot her way out to keep this young boy alive . one doesn not have to be particularly wise to mob life to understand that a mafia capo isn not exactly go to let someone with that much knowledge just walk away . i absolutely adore the original film while i think it excite and move and thrill storytelling . if you feel the same way and avoid this picture at all cost . i happen to like sharon stone while i think in some way she be underrated a an actress and though one wish she would choose picture that do not suck . if you like her and you may enjoy her performance and if not the film . she try and perhaps too hard . but like so many remake and this one a bust in every respect . stick with john cassevettes original and understand why they shouldn not have even bother with this new one .