Movie-Elegy

Elegy (2007) is an adult movie, with adult situation, adult themes and adult thoughts. It is not childish in any way. But while that makes it sometimes slow and thoughtful, with no whiz-bang situations, no special effects, car chases, explosions or fights, it also makes it deep and emotion-laden, layered and textured.

Two wonderful performances anchor this film. Ben Kingsley, as a professor, author and cultural commentator, David Kapesh, continues to amaze me with his roles, and how much he plumbs into the raw terror that it to be human, and to have emotions. As much seems to have it all together, he is terrified of love and of losing control. But that's just what happens.

David, and his friend, played by Dennis Hopper, go around bedding women like they are adolescent college students. And into David's classroom walks Consuela, a beautiful young woman, played by Penelope Cruz. First David just wants to bed her, but then falls deeply for her. But his insecurities, his fear of loving someone, or they loving him, hinder their relationship.

Cruz plays Consuela wonderfully. Not as a young woman who is a victim of an older man, but as a woman who knows herself, better than he does actually, for all his urbane charm and worldliness, and lives for who she is. Cruz is really good here. I have said I don't think the Oscar should have gone to her this year for Vicki Christina Barcelona, but maybe the academy was trying to make up for not nominating her for this role. Because it was Oscar caliber.

Elegy has some turns that you do not quite see, but they are the turns that life can give. And the two leads handle the drama together as if they are doing a dance, moving in sychronization with each other. It is a movie well worth seeing for their performances alone, but the plot and story make it even better.