Tags
Ben Kingsley, cinema, Elegy, film, Isabel Coixet, movies, Penélope Cruz
Storybook gives way to textbook
A sometimes-restrained, sometimes-awfully-un-subtle egotistical subjectivity reigns Elegy, an interesting piece of tweaked phallocentrism from a woman director. Loose ends are generally tied up even though the characters barely keep their heads above a sea of self-proclaimed navel-gazing. For a ponderously serious piece, Elegy is very easy, in every sense of the word. It’s fascinating how characters have to be academics in films like this to give that intellectually aloof rapport apparently required by such subject matter, when in fact the subject matter is essentially, “I can make it on my own; no, wait, I can’t make it on my own.” At least the film doesn’t give any misdirection as to its concerns. When he’s lonely and the phone rings or he has a voicemail, it’s always the only important person at that moment who can offer some kind of solace. Cinematographically, the film seems to be more of an “elegy” to Penelope Cruz’s womanhood than to Ben Kingsely’s slow divorce to bachelorhood, but perhaps it’s simply an awkward and confused parallel theme going on. Eh.
Hi,
I haven’t seen “Elegy” yet, but I have be able to see the last film of Isabel Coixet “Map of the sounds of Tokio”, and the truth is an awful movie (in my website is the review), much worse than previous movies of the spanish director (“My life without me”, “Cosas que nunca te dije” or “The secret life of words”).
greetings!
Absolutely couldn’t stand this movie, or any of her movies, though this is the only one I finished.
I’ll check your site, Javi. But as A.Ho and I have indicated, this shouldn’t be high on your priority list. Re-reading this, I’m even more convinced than before of the film’s “easiness.”
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