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English-Language Movies in Madrid - Elegy with Penelope Cruz

English-Language Movies in Madrid - Elegy with Penelope Cruz

by Andrew Poole
Far from the “Roses are Red, Violets are blue” simplicity of most “love stories”, Elegy...

Cine Yelmo Ideal
Calle Dr. Cortezo, 6
Metro Sol/Tirso de Molina

Elegy with Penelope Cruz

Far from the “Roses are Red, Violets are blue” simplicity of most “love stories”, Elegy brings a stimulating complexity and stark honesty to this excessively commercialized genre (Read: even deeper than Bridget Jones’s Diary).

The original novel, written by Phillip Roth, and the direction by Spain’s own Isabel Coixet leave no room for daydream notions of romance. Professor George O’hearn (Dennis Hopper) makes this clear from the beginning with his unapologetic explanation:

Wives are for stable relationships, young women are for sex – you shouldn’t confuse the two (paraphrased).

This nugget of “wisdom” is doled out to deter aging Professor David Kepesh (Ben Kingsley) from pursuing a relationship with Consuela (Penelope Cruz) his young literature student.

Will he listen to his head, his heart or… his loins? Rationally, Kepesh knows he should heed his friend’s advice and stop chasing young coeds, but one thing the movie teaches us is that youthful lust doesn’t end with youth.

The story unfolds around these two characters: Kepesh, a celebrated New York professor and cultural critic well into his sixties, and Consuela, his disturbingly beautiful Cuban-American student; however, if you’re assuming this is the saccharine story of “love against all odds” or even the bittersweet saga of “unrequited love”, you’re wrong. The script carves its own path with little regard for these Hollywood-approved financially sensible formulas.

In place of these clichés, we are confronted with an uncomfortable look at the culture of serial monogamy and non-committal relationships as well as the problems of aging and the human condition in general.

It’s a keen awareness of these issues which causes Kepesh to deride himself from the onset of the relationship; aware of the age difference and improbability of success, he tries to pass it off the as a fleeting obsession. The conflict, however, between what he knows and feels tortures him - a contradiction which plays out on the craggy terrain of existing relationships, familial tensions, and cultural differences.

He tries to transcend this earthly paradox by launching into cerebral orbit; Consuela, on the other hand, remains firmly grounded asking the most elemental but difficult questions about commitment, fidelity and real love.

The dialogues are sharp - at times piercing. The script resonates with the profound depth that only novel adaptations can conjure and, in general, the actors rise to the occasion.

Kingsley’s performance is nothing short of masterful. Bringing his Shakespearian presence to the screen, he shifts between the turmoil of his inner conflict and the frivolity of falling in love. Cruz’s acting won’t stun audiences – her beauty might - but she capably progresses from naïve college student to experienced woman while maintaining the integrity of her character. And, Patricia Clarkson completely disappears into her role as Carolyn, the successful but empty business woman. Disappointingly, Dennis Hopper as Kepesh’s colleague, George O’hearn, gives an uninspired performance – even when he “loses control”, his acting comes across as just plain flat.

Coixet’s directorial skills are solid but a bit detached – a fact that is emphasized by having seen Cruz in Almodóvar’s sumptuous Volver where every frame is an ode to sensuality. Perhaps Coixet utilizes this detachment to maintain the unflinching realism of the script; however, I would argue that sensuality certainly has a place in a tale of carnal desire. Sparse piano, introspective voice-overs and mellowed light all fuse to create this harsh yet intimate and nostalgic portrait of the intersection of two such different lives.

In the end, Elegy presents us with a refreshingly realistic tale of love – a tale for grown-ups who might shift uncomfortably in their seats as they recognize themselves in more than one of the roles. Squirming or not, when the credits role you’ll be thankful to have seen such a frank treatment of love after one too many “Bridgette Jones” flicks.