Elegy
Director: Isabel Coixet
Starring: Penélope Cruz & Ben Kingsley
Genre: Drama
Rated: R
Tag line: Love has no boundaries.
Amazon rating: 4 1/2 out of 5 stars
My rating: 5 stars
Plot: Professor David Kepesh, lecturer and culture critic, finds that his life for bachelorhood (just sex) has been thrown in disarray when he falls in love for his student, Consuela Castillo.
Review: I read The Dying Animal by Philip Roth, which this movie is based on, a few years ago. Roth is an excellent writer, one of the best and one of my favorites. He is relentless, doesn't apologize for getting the truth out. His words are poetry and vulgarity in one. When I learned it was being adapted into a screenplay, I had my doubts. While I lov
e Roth's work, I feared that something wold be lost in the process. Like all books that are adapted, Roth gives you insight into the mind of his characters - you understand them, whether you choose to love them or not. He isn't asking you to forgive them for the trespasses, he's just letting you know. And the David Kepesh stories were the first ones I've encountered - The Breast, a Kafkaesque novel where our "hero" transforms into a giant breast; The Dying Animal, where Kepesh is faced with the dilemma of actual affection for another person, rather than just wanting her around for the sex; and The Professor of Desire, which ventures into his life's journey, from the start.
But Elegy is one of those films that take your breath away. Ben Kingsley, a brilliant actor, one I've never imagined to take the role of Kepesh, but nonetheless, does an excellent job performing, takes the lead. He is the most convincing man for the part. Not because he looks like a tom cat, but because he can get into the emotions of a man stricken by Cupid's arrow. Teamed up with the ever enchanting Penélope Cruz, and you see nothing but chemistry on screen.
Dennis Hopper, who plays poet George O'Hearn, Kepesh's married tom cat friend, delivers an extraordinary performance - as if anything less is expected from such a great actor. Also convincingly is Peter Sarsgaard, who plays Kenny Kepesh - the grudge-holding son of our main character who too finds himself in the lap of adultery even though he'd held that against his father.
With such a wonderful cast of actors placed up in front of us and excellent writing and directing, it's not wonder that Elegy is one of the few films that can stand alone - no need for comparison - to their novel originals. It's a love story, it's a story of lust. It's erotic and charming, sensual and caring. It's a movie you will not regret watching.
e Roth's work, I feared that something wold be lost in the process. Like all books that are adapted, Roth gives you insight into the mind of his characters - you understand them, whether you choose to love them or not. He isn't asking you to forgive them for the trespasses, he's just letting you know. And the David Kepesh stories were the first ones I've encountered - The Breast, a Kafkaesque novel where our "hero" transforms into a giant breast; The Dying Animal, where Kepesh is faced with the dilemma of actual affection for another person, rather than just wanting her around for the sex; and The Professor of Desire, which ventures into his life's journey, from the start.But Elegy is one of those films that take your breath away. Ben Kingsley, a brilliant actor, one I've never imagined to take the role of Kepesh, but nonetheless, does an excellent job performing, takes the lead. He is the most convincing man for the part. Not because he looks like a tom cat, but because he can get into the emotions of a man stricken by Cupid's arrow. Teamed up with the ever enchanting Penélope Cruz, and you see nothing but chemistry on screen.
Dennis Hopper, who plays poet George O'Hearn, Kepesh's married tom cat friend, delivers an extraordinary performance - as if anything less is expected from such a great actor. Also convincingly is Peter Sarsgaard, who plays Kenny Kepesh - the grudge-holding son of our main character who too finds himself in the lap of adultery even though he'd held that against his father.With such a wonderful cast of actors placed up in front of us and excellent writing and directing, it's not wonder that Elegy is one of the few films that can stand alone - no need for comparison - to their novel originals. It's a love story, it's a story of lust. It's erotic and charming, sensual and caring. It's a movie you will not regret watching.
). The characters aren't really molded out well with the exception of Lewis (the jealous husband) and Mya (the adulterous wife), but even they seem to be lacking dimension. It also leaves open the plot hole of why some people are inclined to commit murder while others who see the transmission are left with a severe form of psychosis.
, nor had I any intention of watching this film. However, the hype made me curious so I came around to decide and give it a try. While I didn't hate the movie, I felt there wasn't anything to like either: the characters weren't really molded properly; the actors lacked emotion - any real sense of letting us empathized with their characters; the storyline flopped; the plot felt too familiar and used up (a vampire that can read minds but finds a girl whose mind he can't penetrate really feels like a role reversal of 
); the climax jumped rather quickly without really any proper set up; or perhaps it's because I'm not the target audience, but my girlfriend's 11-year-old sister was also not impressed by the movie - and she's never read the novels either.
- so maybe the fault lies in the hands of the screenwriter.
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