Skip to main content

Elena (2011)

Elena (2011) movie poster

Elena (Russian: Елена) is a 2011 Russian drama film directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev. It premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival where it won the Special Jury Prize. It also won a Golden Eagle Award for Best Film and a Nika Award for Best Actress. Nadezhda Markina was also nominated for the Best Performance by an Actress at the European Film Awards and the Asia Pacific Screen Awards.

When a sudden illness and an unexpected reunion threaten dutiful housewife Elena's potential inheritance, she must hatch a desperate plan ...

Freddy and Krasnaya movie review
***SPOILER ALERT***

K: "Elena" is one of the latest films shot by one of the most famous modern Russian directors, Andrey Zvyagintsev. As usual, it doesn't leave you careless after watching. This film seems really monotonous, showing the daily life of the main characters, Elena, and her husband Vladimir. The picture is very slow, and at some moments it gets frozen, showing only depressing trees without leaves, or the boring lifestyle of each character. This mixture is complemented by wonderfully made music by professional composer Philip Glass. This music brings such a high level of anxiety into you that you always suspect that something will happen.

F: "Accurate portrayal of post-soviet life". That's exactly what I'm not going to say about this film. Everyone (reviewers) is painting a picture of what modern Russia should look like after watching this 1h49m film. Just stop that please. It's a movie about 2 families that suck ass and that's it.

elena at church

F: This is a simple story where nothing really extraordinary happens. You will not feel sympathy for the dying old man because of his lack of compassion towards his wife's family. And you will also not feel sympathy for the wife because she ends up being a gold digger, killing her husband cold-blooded to support her irresponsible and stupid-looking family. This is what is interesting to me in the movie, the gloom of modern Russian society.

K: The main characters, Vladimir and Elena, are an old couple. Both of them have children from previous marriages and this is where they can't find a compromise. Elena blames Vladimir's daughter for being ignorant and selfish, and Vladimir blames Elena's son for being completely spoiled and an irresponsible man. They are from different social strata - he's rich and she's poor. Actually, in the beginning, I didn't understand that they were wife and husband, the cold way they lived, the way they talked with each other, the way they acted, it looked more like an owner and housekeeper relationship. I didn't feel any sympathy for them. They don't feel happy and satisfied being together and in this situation I always ask myself why? Why do people continue living together? In that film, the reason for me was MONEY. Money that Elena's son needs to survive and be able to get another drink. These characters, Sereja and his son Sasha, who don't care about anything in their lives, living a parasite lifestyle, are completely booooòring and I feel disgust and disrespect towards them.

F: Wow stop spitting on my floor Krasnaya, calm down. 😂

lazy sergiy

K: This film might be curious for people interested in learning Russian (the dialogues are not that difficult), for psychological analysis, and for someone who loves depressing stories. For me, this film was really thought-provoking, probably because I found something personal in it.

F: Yep I've chosen this to watch because I'm learning Russkiy. The pace is slow but dark enough to keep me awake; there's a stimulating depressive atmosphere following Elena wherever she goes. The end of the movie is not that satisfying for me, but I can go with it.

Watch an interview with Andrey Zvyagintsev here:


Krasnaya Score: 85/100
Freddy's Score: 68/100
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Straw (2025)

Plot Summary: Janiyah Wiltkinson (Taraji P. Henson), a desperate single mother of a seriously ill daughter, spirals through eviction, job loss, and tragedy in one catastrophic day. In a last-ditch attempt to get medicine, she starts a bank standoff — but a shocking twist reveals her daughter actually died hours earlier, and Janiyah has been dissociating from reality. Eventually, with support from a bank manager and detective, she surrenders peacefully amid growing public sympathy. Director & Writer: Tyler Perry Producer(s): Tyler Perry Cinematography: Justyn Moro Music: Dara Taylor Editing: Nick Coker Cast: Taraji P. Henson as Janiyah Wiltkinson Sherri Shepherd as Nicole (bank manager) Teyana Taylor as Detective Raymond Sinbad as Benny Glynn Turman as Richard (Janiyah’s boss) Rockmond Dunbar as Chief Wilson Ashley Versher as Tessa  ...
Post a Comment
Click to read

Deep Cover (2025)

Plot Summary: An improv comedy teacher (Bryce Dallas Howard) and two of her students (Orlando Bloom, Nick Mohammed) are recruited by a corrupt cop (Sean Bean) to go undercover. They infiltrate London's criminal world, using their acting skills to catch a gang, only to find themselves deeper in danger and needing to improvise their way out. Director: Tom Kingsley Screenplay: Colin Trevorrow, Derek Connolly, Ben Ashenden, Alexander Owen Producers: Colin Trevorrow, Walter F. Parkes, Laurie MacDonald Music: Daniel Pemberton Cinematography: Will Hanke Starring: Bryce Dallas Howard as Kat Boyles Orlando Bloom as Marlon Swift Nick Mohammed as Hugh Sean Bean as DS Graham Billings Paddy Considine as Fly Ian McShane as Metcalfe Sonoya Mizuno as Shosh Studio / Distributor: Metronome Film Company, Parkes+MacDonald Image Nation / Amazon Prime Video ...
Post a Comment
Click to read

Echo Valley (2025)

Plot Summary: Grieving widow Kate Garrett (J. Moore) struggles to keep her Pennsylvania horse farm afloat after losing her wife. When her estranged, drug-addicted daughter Claire (S. Sweeney) returns bloodied and in distress, a gripping thriller unfolds as Kate fights to protect her child, confronting escalating danger, moral dilemmas, and the lengths a mother will go to save her kids. Director: Michael Pearce Screenplay: Brad Ingelsby Producers: Brad Ingelsby, Ridley Scott, Michael Pruss, Kevin J. Walsh Music: Jed Kurzel Cinematography: Benjamin Kračun Starring: Julianne Moore as Kate Garrett Sydney Sweeney as Claire Garrett Domhnall Gleeson as Jackie Kyle MacLachlan as Richard Garrett Fiona Shaw as Jessie Oliver Edmund Donovan as Ryan   ***SPOILER ALERT*** Cheese, Wine and Echo Valley Alright, so picture this. It’s a ...
Post a Comment
Click to read

Friendship (2024)

Plot Summary: Suburban dad Craig Waterman (Tim Robinson) becomes obsessed with new neighbor Austin Carmichael (Paul Rudd). A quirky bromance spirals into a cringe-filled, emotional unraveling as Craig struggles with boundaries and rejection. Director & Writer: Andrew DeYoung Producer(s): Raphael Margules, J.D. Lifshitz, Johnny Holland, Nick Weidenfeld Music: Keegan DeWitt Cinematography: Andy Rydzewski Editing: Sophie Corra Starring: Tim Robinson as Craig Waterman Paul Rudd as Austin Carmichael Kate Mara as Tami Waterman Jack Dylan Grazer as Steven Waterman Josh Segarra, Billy Bryk, Jason Veasey and others   ***SPOILER ALERT*** A Wild Ride into Unhinged Genius Alright, instant noodles, shrimp flavor, done. Now for the actual love letter to Friendship, that magnificent, fucked-up black comedy that quite literally brought Tim R...
Post a Comment
Click to read

Moana 2 (2024)

Plot Summary: Moana, now a master wayfinder, sets sail with her new crew to restore the lost island Motufetu and reconnect ocean tribes. Directors: David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, Dana Ledoux Miller Producers: Christina Chen, Yvett Merino (with Jennifer Lee credited on fandom) Screenplay: Written by Jared Bush & Dana Ledoux Miller; story by Bush, Miller & Bek Smith Starring (voice cast): Auliʻi Cravalho as Moana Dwayne Johnson as Maui Hualālai Chung as Moni Rose Matafeo as Loto David Fane as Kele Awhimai Fraser as Matangi Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda as Simea Alan Tudyk as Heihei Temuera Morrison as Chief Tui Nicole Scherzinger as Sina   ***SPOILER ALERT*** Back to the Ocean, But With Cautious Toes Saturday after lunch, full belly, and we hit play on Moana 2. If you’ve read my love letter to the first movie, you know it h...
Post a Comment
Click to read

Europe's Lithium Paradox (2025)

Plot Summary: This eye-opening documentary explores Europe's struggle to harness its own lithium resources for clean energy. Although rich in lithium reserves, the continent relies heavily on imports. The film examines environmental concerns, community resistance, and growing calls for sustainable and socially responsible mining practices. Director: Stijn van Baarle Presenter: Peter Tom Jones Production Company: Journeyman Pictures, Storyrunner, SIM² KU Leuven Runtime: 56 minutes Original Language: English Featuring: Peter Tom Jones (Self)   ***SPOILER ALERT*** First Impressions from the Portuguese Trenches Let me just say it straight: this documentary is a slap in the face. We’re being f*cked over. Our land, our hills, our Barroso, is getting auctioned off to some British company that plans to drill hole after miserable hole like it's a goddamn dartbo...
Post a Comment
Click to read