Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)When I saw this movie - which in itself was not an easy task because it was relegated to obscure theaters at inconvenient times - only six other people were present. Clearly this movie was not made with popular appeal in mind. No guns, no CGI, no well-cued schtick and obvious dialog. Just stunningly acute direction and acting that takes the breath away.
I have never seen a film containing so much pain yet so beautifully delivered. Kingsley and Cruz turn in exquisite performances, though of course Kingsley dominates as the eternally commitment-shy academic David. It is a testimony to Kingsley's power as an actor that he enables us first to feel sympathy with David's desire to seduce his student, and then sympathy with his moral and emotional equivocation, and finally sympathy with the utter devastation that comes from the loss of his beloved.
Aside from the scenes in which David interacts with his estranged son - scenes that really could have been deleted without harming the film in any way - there is never a spare moment. This is a movie about isolation, loneliness and desire - the desire for contact, connection, and ultimately for hope. It is spare, terse, and under-stated. Unfortunately we do not live in a time when these virtues are appreciated, and many professional reviews have been very wide of the mark with their myopic criticisms.
The direction of the movie is light and assured, a million miles from the heavy-handed journey-work of most directors. Nothing is over-emphasized. Kingsley turns in what must be one of the top two or three performances of his career. The movie assumes an intelligent audience - perhaps the reason why so few people have actually seen it, and why fewer still have appreciated its richness. But for anyone who enjoys film-making at its very best, this is a must-have for the DVD or BlueRay collection.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Elegy (2008)
Respected cultural critic and author David Kepesh (Ben Kingsley) is a middle-aged college professor who, for years, has lived in a state of "emancipated manhood." His romantic conquests are many; his lasting commitments, few. But when a stunning young student named Consuela Castillo (Penelope Cruz) enters his life, her otherworldly beauty captivates him to the point of obsession. Soon, their erotic relationship evolves into an undying and passionate love in this gripping drama that explores the power of love to blind, reveal and transform.
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