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Elena

2011

Andrey Zvyagintsev

Nadezhda Markina, Elena Lyadova, Aleksey Rozin, Andrey Smirnov ...

6.9

1,814

Drama Elena and Vladimir are an older couple, they come from different backgrounds. Vladimir is a wealthy and cold man, Elena comes from a modest milieu and is a docile wife. They have met late in life and each one has children from previous marriages. Elena’s son is unemployed, unable to support his own family and he is constantly asking Elena for money. Vladimir’s daughter is a careless young woman who has a distant relationship with her ... [+]

	Author	Review
United Kingdom	Peter Bradshaw The Guardian	"A subtle Russian marvel (...) A deeply satisfying film (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United States	Stephen Holden The New York Times	"[A] somber, gripping film"	POS
United States	Roger Ebert rogerebert.com	"There's a kind of fascination in observing Elena's calm and composure (…) Rating: ★★★ (out of 4)"	POS
United States	Neil Young The Hollywood Reporter	"'Elena' shows Zvyagintsev wisely concentrating on plot, character and social/political context rather than portentous atmospherics. The cumulative impact is stunning."	POS
United States	Justin Chang Variety	"A wise and impeccably controlled drama that finds Russian helmer Andrei Zvyagintsev in outstanding form."	POS
United Kingdom	Marc Lee Telegraph	"An understated but gripping drama (...) [Zvyagintsev] plots a steady course through a moral quagmire with unhurried assurance (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United Kingdom	Dave Calhoun Time Out	"The story has an eerie, powerful simplicity (...) This is smart, gripping cinema (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United States	Ty Burr Boston Globe	"It’s a thing of severe and chilly beauty (...) 'Elena' reveals a filmmaker in full command of his art (…) Rating: ★★★½ (out of 4)"	POS
United States	Scott Tobias AV Club	"[Zvyagintsev] poises 'Elena' beautifully on the boundary between family melodrama and high suspense"	POS
United Kingdom	Howard Feinstein Screendaily	"This compelling drama about a family torn askew is chilling, its locations and premises evocative of the new Russia (...) Grounded by Markina’s magnificent performance"	POS
United States	Chuck Bowen Slant	"Zvyagintsev employs a clever misdirection (...) Tough, haunting, and eventually even casually heartbreaking (…) Rating: ★★★½ (out of 4)"	POS

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