Quadruple Feature Part Four: Elegy

Elegy
Directed by Isabel Coixet
Released August 8, 2008

After seeing Ben Kingsley, Penelope Cruz, and Patricia Clarkson in other movies earlier in the day, I was expecting to get confused about which character was which. Luckily, quadruple feature film number four proved to be just as good as the ones before it, and the performances are even better. “Elegy” is a somber tale of a professor who decides to pursue a much younger graduate student only to realize that he doesn’t think she can ever be completely happy with him. The film has wonderful cinematography and deep, complex characters played by experienced, quality actors. Ben Kingsley is a great serious actor whose voice and the way he carries himself speak volumes about him. Penelope Cruz turns in what must be her best English-language performance after impressing in Spanish two years ago with her Oscar-nominated role in “Volver”. Kingsley and Cruz work magnificently together, and it’s marvelous to see such easy chemistry come alive on screen from two professional, good actors. Supporting performances from Patricia Clarkson and Peter Sarsgaard are all too brief, but serve as a crucial reminder that these two need bigger roles in better movies, all the time. “Elegy” is subtly entertaining towards the start before taking a more dramatic turn, yet the transition is seamless and the movie feels complete. Its tone and story are very reminiscent of films like “Venus” and “Starting Out in the Evening”, where an intellectual’s way of looking at history and life lead him to contemplate his own life journey. The journey is terrific to watch, and I’d be hard-pressed to find a more impressive working ensemble.

B+