Elena (2011)
Genre: Drama
Duration: 109 minuten
Alternative title: Елена
Country:
Russia
Directed by: Andrey Zvyagintsev
Stars: Nadezhda Markina, Andrey Smirnov and Elena Lyadova
IMDb score:
7,3 (15.913)
Releasedate: 6 June 2011
Elena plot
"Thy Will Be Done"
Elena and Vladimir form a couple from different backgrounds. Vladimir is rich, hard, selfish and aloof, Elena worked in a hospital as a nurse and is a docile, caring woman. They met late in life in the hospital and live in Vladimir's luxurious apartment in Moscow. Both have children from a previous marriage. However, everything is not a rose scent and moonshine. After all, Elena has only one concern: to save her alcoholic son and his family from impending poverty. Elena's son is unemployed and unable to support his family and afford school for his eldest son, mainly because he is more interested in the alcoholic contents of the refrigerator. That is why he keeps asking his mother for money. Vladimir disapproves of Elena's financial involvement with her son and does not want to put any money into this bottomless pit.
Actors and actresses
Elena
Sergey
Vladimir
Katerina
Friend Sanka
Operations officer
Aleksandr
Reviews & comments
wendyvortex
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- 5196 messages
- 7279 votes
It wasn't until Leviathan came out that I saw that Zvyagintsev now had a third film, apparently passed a little more quietly (or I've been sleeping).
This is his weakest film to date: more subdued in terms of characters, many domestic scenes that make it visually a bit more sober, although Zvyaginstsev immediately shows his talent in those few outdoor scenes.
The story is again very strong and says something about the human condition, you will eventually get the director's conclusion, but we also learn from the film that the Russians are stuck with exactly the same kl*** programs as us on their TV.
Well, Zvyagintsev is of course still a great film.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Fisico
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- 10039 messages
- 5398 votes
Another film by Andrey Zvyagintsev about complex relationships. The film shows the fragile and sometimes contradictory relationships between newly blended families. When both partners have children from a previous marriage and already carry their own history, this can often lead to tensions in the family. Andrey Zvyagintsev also succeeds in extending this to the social picture in modern Russia, in which the gap between rich and poor is getting bigger and bigger.
Elena, of humble origin, married to a rich man, is of humble origin. Her son is an alcoholic idler and support worker. Her grandchild has little future and only the army offers a way out. Vladimir refuses to pump money to support her marginal family. On the other hand, he holds his daughter's hand above her head. She doesn't differ that much from Elena's family, except that she comes from a wealthy family and is spoiled rotten. This often leads to tensions between the two. They no longer sleep together, communication is limited and is only discussed at the kitchen table.
When Vladimir has a heart attack and Elena learns that she's a limited figure in his will , she kills him hoping she's entitled to more. Elena, a woman who initially evoked sympathy as a caring loyal woman, puts her own interests first in the hope of offering her family a way out of poverty.
Own child, beautiful child, it sums up the film nicely. Cinematographically, the film is well put together. Pretty cold and distant. The opening scene with the birds in the tree also comes back in the last shot. Only the occupants of the apartment have changed...
Translated from Dutch · View original
mrklm
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- 11629 messages
- 10041 votes
Beautifully filmed and well-acted social drama is a portrait of a society torn between the old Communist Russia and a time when freedom seems to be at the expense of belonging. Nadezhda Markina stars as Elena, the current wife of the physically ailing Vladimir [Andrey Smirnov] and the plot revolves around Vladimir's legacy. Nadezhda has a son [Aleksey Rozin] from a previous marriage who has money problems and finds it hard to accept that Vladimir refuses to help her son out. Vladimir values his daughter [Elenya Lyadova] more, even though she turned her back on him years ago. Zvyagintsev uses images of the characters' surroundings to subtly comment on today's society, but the deliberately slow pace regularly tests your patience.
Translated from Dutch · View original
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