It happened by chance that I noticed in this movie adaptation of Philip Roth's The Dying Animal. Being an admirer of his writing, I decided to see how his work translates into cinema. I hadn't any expectations, save that I expected a movie about the complications of love relationships, a specialty of Roth, a cynical approach at sex, another specialty of the author, and at least great performances from Ben Kingsley and Penélope Cruz.
It met my expectations and more. First of all, this is an amazing ensemble movie. Ben Kingsley is, of course, amazing as David Kepesh, an aging college teacher and art critic, who has a problem with commitments and relationships; he lives from one-slight stands and quick affairs; his only lasting relationship is with Carolyn, a former student (Patricia Clarkson) who has sex with him whenever she's in town. At 66, Kingsley is in a perfect shape and still projects a lot of sensuality and grace. It's not hard to understand why he captures the imagination of his student Consuela Castillo (Cruz).
Cruz is not convincing as the student in her twenties she's supposed to play, but I chalk that up to whoever did the casting. Otherwise, she's fascinating as a young woman who slowly falls in love with her teacher and gives him a bigger role in her life than he is ready to allow. This is the heart of the movie: Consuela, who wants David to spend the rest of his life with her, versus the commitment-free David who walked out of a disastrous marriage never to try it again.
This simple premise is supported by their great performances, plus the talents of Patricia Clarkson, who plays an aging woman who shares David's philosophy about relationships; and Peter Sarsgaard, who plays David's son, a successful doctor who never got over the fact he abandoned him and his mother. Their difficult attempt at reconnecting after a long time is a wonderful subplot in itself.
And then there's the amazing Dennis Hopper. I had no idea he was in this movie until I reached the cinema and saw his name on the poster. It's such a pleasure watching him playing a three-dimensional character in a good movie. Why he doesn't get more roles in dramas is beyond me. In Elegy he plays George O'Hearn, a poet, David's best friend and a wife-cheating womanizer. It's a short role, but I loved ever moment Kingsley and Hopper were on screen together, talking about love, art, women, infidelity, all this over warm coffee in the morning. There's a feeling these two have known each other for decades and have no secrets.
I have no idea who Isabel Coixet is, but she's crafted an interesting, and mature, drama, about falling in love, the fear of growing old and the horror of loneliness. It's a short but demanding movie. It certainly won't leave anyone with a bright outlook on life, but I think it's honest and rewarding. It has to be, coming from Philip Roth. Although I haven't read this particular novel by Roth to judge, I think Nicholas Meyer did a good job writing an interesting movie. A last element I think is worth mentioning is Jean-Claude Larrieu's cinematography, which many times captures people in silhouette as if suspended in a world of light and darkness, making Elegy a visually-beautiful movie.
It met my expectations and more. First of all, this is an amazing ensemble movie. Ben Kingsley is, of course, amazing as David Kepesh, an aging college teacher and art critic, who has a problem with commitments and relationships; he lives from one-slight stands and quick affairs; his only lasting relationship is with Carolyn, a former student (Patricia Clarkson) who has sex with him whenever she's in town. At 66, Kingsley is in a perfect shape and still projects a lot of sensuality and grace. It's not hard to understand why he captures the imagination of his student Consuela Castillo (Cruz).
Cruz is not convincing as the student in her twenties she's supposed to play, but I chalk that up to whoever did the casting. Otherwise, she's fascinating as a young woman who slowly falls in love with her teacher and gives him a bigger role in her life than he is ready to allow. This is the heart of the movie: Consuela, who wants David to spend the rest of his life with her, versus the commitment-free David who walked out of a disastrous marriage never to try it again.
This simple premise is supported by their great performances, plus the talents of Patricia Clarkson, who plays an aging woman who shares David's philosophy about relationships; and Peter Sarsgaard, who plays David's son, a successful doctor who never got over the fact he abandoned him and his mother. Their difficult attempt at reconnecting after a long time is a wonderful subplot in itself.
And then there's the amazing Dennis Hopper. I had no idea he was in this movie until I reached the cinema and saw his name on the poster. It's such a pleasure watching him playing a three-dimensional character in a good movie. Why he doesn't get more roles in dramas is beyond me. In Elegy he plays George O'Hearn, a poet, David's best friend and a wife-cheating womanizer. It's a short role, but I loved ever moment Kingsley and Hopper were on screen together, talking about love, art, women, infidelity, all this over warm coffee in the morning. There's a feeling these two have known each other for decades and have no secrets.
I have no idea who Isabel Coixet is, but she's crafted an interesting, and mature, drama, about falling in love, the fear of growing old and the horror of loneliness. It's a short but demanding movie. It certainly won't leave anyone with a bright outlook on life, but I think it's honest and rewarding. It has to be, coming from Philip Roth. Although I haven't read this particular novel by Roth to judge, I think Nicholas Meyer did a good job writing an interesting movie. A last element I think is worth mentioning is Jean-Claude Larrieu's cinematography, which many times captures people in silhouette as if suspended in a world of light and darkness, making Elegy a visually-beautiful movie.