Found in: Andrey Zvyagintsev
Elena

Elena

classified 12A S

Andrey Zvyagintsev Brunches

Film

Please note: This was screened in Jan 2018

Director
Andrey Zvyagintsev
Cast
Nadezhda Markina, Andrey Smirnov, Aleksey Rozin |
Details
109 mins, Subtitled, 2011, Russia

Zvyagintsev produced a gripping, modern twist on the classic noir thriller with his third feature Elena which scooped the director the Special Jury Prize at Cannes in 2011.

Elena (Nadezhda Markina) is a middle-aged former nurse from a poor background who appears to have struck it lucky. After marrying Vladimir (Andrey Smirnov), a wealthy patient whom she previously cared for, she now lives with him in his luxury apartment tending to him conscientiously. The problem with this happy and workable arrangement is that each spouse detests the other's grownup child from a previous marriage. Vladimir's daughter Katya (Elena Lyadova) is a spoilt party animal who sneers at her indulgent dad; Elena's son Sergei (Alexei Rozin) is a feckless waster who keeps producing kids and thinks of his mum's marriage as his meal ticket. But when a sudden illness and an unexpected reunion threaten the dutiful housewife’s potential inheritance, Elena must hatch a desperate plan….

Who is Elena? What does she want? Who does she love? These are just some of the questions that bubble away throughout this subtly stylish exploration of crime, punishment and human nature. Masterfully crafted and featuring an evocative, Hitchcockian soundtrack by composer Philip Glass, Zvyagintsev’s deeply satisfying third feature constantly surprises and simmers with tension.


× Close

Help us make our website work better for you

We use Google Analytics to gather information on how our website is used. This information helps us to make changes to our website that improve the usefulness and overall experience for our visitors. If you would like to help us to make continuous improvements to our website, please allow us to set "first-party" cookies (only readable by us) so that we can distinguish visitors and gain greater insights.

Allow cookies for analytics Deny cookies for analytics