Elegy

The text translates to: A modestly vulnerable Creature and enchantingly captivating Beauty. It is hard to say how much credit to attribute to sensitive direction, a strong material from the source, or enthralling performances, for the truth remains that this combination mesmerizes from the first to the last dialogue. Whether it concerns close themes such as jealousy or fickleness, or more distant ones like old age, one can only respectfully bow to the carefully crafted story. (11/08/2010)

An elegant, human, hypnotic, and very well crafted drama about interpersonal relationships. Ben Kingsley honorably handles his role of the mentally still spry professor who is nevertheless fully and painfully aware of his age and I rank his performance in this film among his best. Penelope Cruz proves that, apart from her visual appeal, she is also a reasonably good actress. The fact that the script isn't very "deep" and doesn't go to the bottom of the emotions of certain situations (which is usually desirable in deep and harsh dramas) is paradoxically rather an advantage in this case, as the entire film is more likely to stand out as an elegant chamber drama with credibility achieved precisely by Kingsley's focused acting or by the overall sheen of slickness by carefully working with the visuals using the graceful tones of a piano. A genre film treat – not formulaic, and though at the same time not particularly groundbreaking, yet very good and appealingly and distinctively rendered. (12/14/2012)

As a drama of an aging man searching for an opportunity for sexual indulgence and finding his last true love, it deserves 5 stars because Penélope Cruz and Ben Kingsley belong to the elite of their acting generation and Isabel Coixet knows how to film it with elegance and sensitivity. As a film adaptation of Philip Roth's literary work, however, it barely reaches three stars. Personally, I haven't read the book but I know other books by Roth, and if he wrote like Isabel translates, he wouldn't be considered one of the greatest, if not the greatest, American novelists. It lacks bitterness and selfishness, and it lacks that dark side of a partnership. Only romance remains, the tragedy of unfulfilled desires and serious illness. Overall impression: 75%. (08/28/2014)

A thoughtful and sensitively crafted film, but one that dwells too much on analyzing individual characters and moves forward too slowly. The components are of high quality (direction, music, editing, performances), but I somehow couldn't find the spark between the protagonists, which is a shameful flaw in a story about two people, and there was an apparent lack in genuine emotions. It is a harsh story, but it is overly “film-like” and too polished according to a visually perfect and dialog-wise cleverly thought-out template. It’s missing rawness, and that is the main drawback for me. (01/07/2009)

A very human story, which is presented with emotions, but I sometimes had the feeling that it was too simplistic, that Isabel Coixet wanted us to shed a tear. However, it's not surprising because the story is beautifully touching. And also straightforward. Gradually, you realize that life can sometimes be quite ordinary. This is exactly the kind of story that is somewhat ordinary, even though it has extraordinary elements, that the creators tried to capture. The professor falls in love with his student. She is beautiful, why shouldn't he fall in love when he lives alone, and she is quite nonconformist. He is an art critic, why should he be uninteresting? She also finds something appealing in him, he has doubts because he is old for her. There is a turning point and then we just wait. The story is not breathtakingly overwhelming, sometimes it is simply ordinary like life itself. What makes it extraordinary are the acting performances. Ben Kingsley showed here that he does not have to play only villains, but that he still has what it takes to handle a serious role. He succeeds here, and it is also thanks to the excellent Penélope Cruz, who is simply a great actress. Moreover, she is beautiful and is not afraid to show it. A perfect couple who absolutely do not match, but still they can create a pair that fits perfectly together. Maybe too perfectly. Something has to go wrong, that is clear. The film is beautiful, not intrusive, it doesn't try to get to you at any cost, but still it succeeds here and there. It is very relatable and very human. However, it sometimes tries to push too hard. David's (Kingsley) best friend has a heart attack at the moment when he should be the happiest, David receives a call from Consuela (Cruz) at a moment when he doesn't expect it anymore. At least the ending is not simplistic, although there is a kind of happy ending here. More: http://www.filmovy-denik.cz/2012/12/umirajici-zvire-4-vanoce-slunce-seno-2.html (03/03/2013)