Director: Isabel Coixet (My Life Without Me, The Secret Life of Words, Paris je’Taime)
Novel: Philip Roth
Screenplay: Nicholas Meyer
Producers: Andre Lamal, Gary Lucchesi, Tom Rosenberg
Starring: Ben Kingsley, Penelope Cruz, Dennis Hopper, Patricia Clarkson, Peter Sarsgaard
MPAA Rating: R
Running time: 108 min
I spend a lot of time defending Penelope Cruz against the haters. It makes it so much easier for me and I’m so much more delighted when she performs in a role of which the quality is very easy to defend. So goes it with her two current theatrical releases: Woody Allen’s Vicky Christina Barcelona (our review) and the topic of discussion here, Elegy. But let’s be honest, while Cruz shines amazingly bright here, the quality of this film goes way beyond just her. In fact, there are a few moments when Cruz’ beauty and magnetism are actually a bit distracting. But first things first…
David (Kingsley) is college professor known for his proclivities to sleeping with young students. His current conquest is Consuela (Cruz). But Consuela becomes more to him than just a one night stand. He begins to develop deeper feelings for her which are returned. Thus begins a tumultuous period for David. On one hand he is happier than he’s ever been with someone who makes him feel alive, and on the other he’s with a woman 30+ years his younger which he knows can’t possibly work out. Despite the advice from his best friend (Dennis Hopper) and the despair he feels for lying to his lover of twenty years (Clarkson), he continues the relationship down a darker and darker path.
Age is obviously a central issue in the movie and it’s discussed often; but beyond that we see an incredibly well educated and wise man struggle as his life seems to slowly swirl down a drain because as he states at one point, “though my body is older, I feel the same on the inside.” So while he has all the experience of a lifetime, he appears to have never really grown up and is still just a boy when it comes to relationships. Which leads to misplaced (or is it?) distrust and jealousy when it comes to Consuela. On top of all this, he’s halfheartedly dealing with piecing a relationship back together with his son; meanwhile watching time race past him.
This is really Kingsley’s film. As is to be expected from Sir Kingsley, he seemingly performs an amazingly complicated persona and character with ease. So perfectly in fact, not taking into account all the marvelous performances we’re sure to see in the next four months, I’d have no problem putting Kingsley up for yet another Oscar nod. I’m reminded a bit of Peter O’Toole’s character from one year ago in Venus, in which a cultural sophisticate in the autumn of his life toils in the life of a beautiful young student who changes him forever. The difference of course is that Elegy is not only sexual in nature but also a far deeper story and frankly much better in almost every respect.
The one thing ensuring Elegy received an “R” certificate is its nudity. But while a lot of the sex and nudity in the beginning of the movie might seem a tad on the gratuitous side, by the closing credits I can promise you it will have taken on a whole new meaning. There are life lessons and issue dealt with throughout the film I never thought would be touched on based on synopsis and trailers I had seen. No, Elegy gets about as deep and introspective as any character study in recent years. It gets to the heart of its characters (all of them) and let’s us feel the emotion.
Helping that feel and heart is the gorgeousness of everything within frame. French cinematographer, Jean-Claude Larrieu, knows exactly the right touch and style to give each scene to help make it more beautiful, more dark or more saddening. Not the first collaboration with director Isabel Coixet and surely not to be the last, I look forward to diving deeper into both of their filmographies.
Although Sarsgaard’s role seems to be a little bit needless and could’ve tightened up the story just a little bit, it’s a clear case of a director not being able to bare to leave it on the cutting room floor and I’ve got to agree. While maybe needless or unimportant to the rest of the story it’s one of the more personal and heart-wrenching sequences in the film. While only adding 15 minutes of screen time, Sarsgaard delivers with a role that could have been part of an entire movie all to itself. Instead, we’re given just enough tom complicate David’s life just that much more and add to that weight that’s on his shoulders; and ultimately the audience’s shoulders as well.
Even though it’s easy to see where the movie will end up (at least on the general surface), it’s compelling as hell to see if we’re going to be wrong or what lies in store next for our protagonists in this seemingly unending poem of life drama. This is easily one of the better dramas of the year with excellence resounding in ever possible category: acting, directing, screenplay and cinematography. It’s easily in my favorite list for the year so far and don’t be surprised (if it gets enough word of mouth) to see a couple of Oscar nods come next February.
Click “play” to see the trailer:
Links:
IMDb profile
Official Site
Flixster Profile for Elegy
More images from the film:
The trailer makes this film look a lot more lighthearted than it really is. It’s actually quite heartfelt and deeper with its drama than a bunch of funny one-liners.
Nice to see Peter Saarsgard working again. He had a big run of films in 2005-06 then got very quiet.
try Year of the Dog.
Unfortunately he’s not in this much though. As mentioned, his part is kind of extraneous, but moving and compelling nonetheless.
Thanks for the great review Andrew. I had only seen the poster for this on Flixster, which didn’t appeal to me at all, so I was ready to take a pass on it without another thought, but with comments like that, how can I turn it down? I’m definitely going to check it out ASAP. Love Peter Sarsgaard, even if it’s only for fifteen minutes. Hopefully we’ll see more of him in the future now that Maggie’s Dark Knight work is done and she can stay home with their daughter.
I second Kurt’s comment on Saarsgard – it’s great to see him back in the swing of things, even if it is in a small role.
And excellent to hear that Coixet is continuing her roll of great films. She’s a director I’ve really come admire. I was going to wait to catch this over the upcoming weekend but I may have to make the trek tomorrow.
Didn’t Sarsgaard take time off to help raise his baby?
Wouldn’t surprise me but also wouldn’t matter. It’s just nice to see him back.
Dennis Hopper is the man. I have him as the voice on my GPS that I got from Navtones.com. He often helps me escape from tricky situations now!
That is quite possibly the coolest thing I’ve ever heard. The only thing cooler would be Shatner or Bruce Campbell.
No way, If I ever get a GPS with voice, it’ll definitely be Kathleen Turner. Sexy.
Public letter from the director:
Dear Film Club Member,
When I read Philip Roth’s novel The Dying Animal the year it was published (2001), I thought, “some day a filmmaker will direct a movie based on this story.”
It never occurred to me that that filmmaker would be me. (I was never very good at predicting things—it never ever rains when I take an umbrella outside). Seven years later, the film Elegy, based on Roth’s work, will be on a screen near you.
Elegy is a journey into the mind of David Kepesh (Ben Kingsley), a Columbia University professor who knows everything about history, music, books and plays, yet doesn’t know the most basic things in life: how to love and how to accept love. He is enduring a fraught romance with Consuela (Penélope Cruz), a young student, and, he is unable to see the emotional void at the centre of his infatuation. He is a man who thinks it better to fantasize about being left than accept the challenge of being worthy of love. David’s problem (a problem Consuela does not have) is not that he is obsessive—it’s that he lacks love and has a profound fear of death. These are the themes of Elegy.
Ben Kingsley perfectly captures Kepesh’s twinkly arrogance, the supreme frailty of a man sustained only by his deceptive mind. Penélope is a luminous, frail, strong, brilliant Consuela. Patricia Clarkson is incredibly touching as Carolyn, the other woman in Kepesh’s life. Dennis Hopper is a genius as George, Kepesh’s true soul mate.
There are things a director cannot direct: one can pray for chemistry between your actors but, if it’s not there, there’s nothing you can do. The moment David Kepesh and Consuela Castillo begin to walk—holding hands in the streets of New York—or, the moment I saw the amazing Patricia Clarkson playing with her stockings or Dennis Hopper falling down in the poetry reading, I truly felt as if I were the most blessed director in the whole world. I still feel that way.
Sincerely yours,
Isabel Coixet, director
anyone else see this? Forgotten gem of the year.
Nope – read the book it was based on just a month or so ago though (Philip Roth’s The Dying Animal) and it was fantastic. I have a copy of the film sitting right here. Maybe I will get to it within the next few days.
This is in my top 5 for the year. It’s embarrassing how most people seem to be overlooking this one. It’s one of the most honest movies I’ve seen; there were moments of recognition that made me cringe.
I liked Elegy a lot, but I really, really, really didn’t like the ending.