Elena

My opinion, I am a little turned off by how Elena is very shy and quiet. Her primary concern is to her husband and children. I feel that she should have stood up for herself more. I understand that Vladimir is sick and he needs care. In the beginning, I was a little turned me off, but as the movie went on, she grew on me. I found myself understanding her more. The only thing that she wanted was to make a better life for her family. I grew to love the character.Although, I like the movie. I found that the film was very slow toward the end of the movie. The movie was a sad. I cried in some parts, but also laughed.I feel that this movie could be a film from all ages, but I feel it is a little slow and sad for children. I do not think they will get the message that the movie portrays. The only way to have kids watch the film is to sit down with them and try to make it fun in a way. I expect the children would have lots of questions about the movie or complain about how slow it is. I would recommend this film to my friends.The movie was about a love story between two older couples; Elena and Vladimir. Elena and Vladimir who are two older couples that were from two different backgrounds. The couple was very different. Elena was quiet and modest, while Vladimir came from a wealthy background and was a cold man. Both never got along. Both marriage before and each had one child. Elena had a son, named Sergey, who did not have a job and always asked for money. Vladimir had a daughter, named Katerina, who had a distant relationship with her father at the beginning of the movie. The mother wanted to help her son and to get her grandchildren a real chance in life. It seemed that everyone had was struggling.The actors who are starring in "Elena" are;Nadezhda Markina as Elena – The wife.Andrey Smirnov as Vladimir – The husband.Elena Lyadova as Katerina – Vladimir's Daughter from his previous marriage.Aleksey Rozin as Sergey – Elena's Son from her first marriage.I thought that the film was going to end with the son in prison, and the father died, but it didn't. I thought that the movie ended soon or maybe it was part of the plot to keep the audience guessing.The film had a good source of light, that added to the intensity of the movie. The light was dim throughout the film. Some parts of the movie were too dark.I would rate the movie an 8 and The movie did not have any popular artists, but the songs were catchy.

As a student of Russian and interest in contemporary Moscow, I enjoyed the opportunity to see a movie about 21st century life filmed on site in the Russian capital. It could not be further from the stereotypical Soviet-era cityscape that many Americans still carry around in their minds when they think about life in Moscow. The slow pace was refreshing to me. I enjoyed the detailed, repetitive scenes of Elena waking up, opening the drapes, then shutting them at night, turning everything off, fixing breakfast, etc. Loved the character development. I would have given it five stars except for the ambiguous, unsatisfying ending.

The couple, Elena and Vladimir, have known each other for the past ten years but married for only the last two. She was his caregiver when Vladimir was previously ill with appendicitis. Vladimir continues to see her as his caregiver. She services him upon request. There appears to be no other dimension to their partnership except we learn she does not like/respect his adult daughter and Vladimir thinks Elena's adult son is an unemployed loser. They have nothing in common except they each in their own way love their individual adult children and they both acknowledge to each other their adult childrens' shortcomings.The couple have only a concrete connection to each other. She is his servant and he is her provider. When Vladimir refuses to help Elena's grandson get into college Elena takes drastic action. Elena's family (son, daughter-in-law and grandson) all treat Elena the same way Vladimir treats her and she knows no other role to play. Elena only relates to others in concrete ways. But her son and his family are everything to her and she will do anything to prevent a schism.

First, there are times when I miss Moscow and the sounds of the birds, the trains, and even footsteps on the streets brought to many memories to the forefront. In the USA I don't walk as much and seeing people on the streets and wooded paths is something that I miss. However, there is a sadness to this movie. Neither the daughter or Elena deserve an inheritance given how they decide to spend it. I am glad that the directors showed the less affluent apartments, former state housing, because in reality that is where and how most Russians live today. The Soviet past left little incentive for the common person to work hard and excel and so those who do often end up amassing some amazing wealth. Corruption is everywhere, at every level, and here we see it up close in just about every cast member except perhaps for the baby grandchild. Sad, but not so unordinary.

The description was not accurate. Besides that, this movie is 5 Stars. Survival of the Fittest.Spoiler:I do not think what the wife does is right, but it is only a movie.

Realistic of Russia in modern times, the gaps that still exist and the incredible change and advance in the infrastructure are shown with a lot of tact, the performers did a great job and it shows Russia and Russians a non jovial people when out and about. I enjoyed the film all of it and what is clear for me is that people are what they are, trash is trash no matter what culture or where you put them, those who are meant to live in a hut if placed upon a throne or palace will destroy that palace or they will loose it in a short time, the film ends abruptly without much fanfare BUT it is clear where they are headed. Too bad she did not listen to her husband, he was the most intelligent and correct in his views of the entire lot.

I'm not usually one to give five stars to something right away but this is certainly one of the very best movies I've yet seen with Prime. Really detailed and thought through, and thoughtful without ever being boring. This director has apparently made very few films, but I would really love to see more of them up on Prime so more people can be exposed to this person's very carefully made movies.

Elena, with her corrupted generosity, analyses the moral conundrums of contemporary Russia. Moscow. A bustling metropolis harnessing a vivid social and cultural divide amongst its wide-spanning urbanisation. Where capitalism provides feasts for the wealthy inhabitants, who reside in exclusive apartments lavished from every corner. Whilst the unemployed bask in their indolence, residing in unscrupulous khrushchyovkas (concrete apartment buildings) neglected by the same government that erected them. A train journey distance segregates the prosperous from the impoverished. A mode of transport that the eponymous Elena opts to journey on, in order to visit her son from a previous marriage.Her current amalgamation with Vladimir, whom epitomises greed, is one that blossomed by love. Only to be tainted by his predilection for affluence. The two now sleep in separate rooms, emphasising the irreverent class division that plagues Moscow. Faced with a dilemma, Elena is forced to request money from her husband to help finance her grandson’s tuition due to insufficient grades. He declines. “Your son refuses to become employed, so why do I have to provide financial input when I’ve worked to become where I am?”, he paraphrased. And with that, Zvyagintsev provides another fulfilling familial drama unlike his previous work.Once again, he directs a cacophony of moral standoffs from a neutral perspective. Not one character is viewed as the complacent “bad” individual shrouded in immorality. Zvyagintsev insists you yourself become involved in the social construct of wealth. To view an argument on social disorder from both sides of the class system. The rich remain wealthy due to their insistence on maintaining acquisitiveness. Whilst that is deemed rapacious, Zvyagintsev presents Vladimir’s viewpoint with a hefty consequence if he were to constantly finance Elena’s son. The impoverished would not help themselves. They would become dependent on the wealthy feeding them monetary benefits, furthering their unnecessary need for work. Essentially escalating the fundamental issue at hand. Zvyagintsev highlights the ingratitude of a society ruled by capitalism, through a fragmented family’s turmoil. A fragmentation caused by money. It’s a visionary piece of dramatic art that dissects communal issues with acute precision.Elena is Zvyagintsev’s most dialogue-heavy screenplay thus far, yet it rewards viewers with tantalising moral arguments. There are more virtuous angles present in one heated conversation over breakfast, than there are in an icosahedron. Each character has a preconceived side to their argument. Elena wants Vladimir’s financial assistance. Vladimir wants Elena’s son to deal with his own family as a father should. Yet both, on more than one occasion, would envisage what the other half is stating. Almost altering their perspective, putting themselves in the other’s shoes. It’s with these moments that Zvyagintsev truly enthrals with his concise dialogue.His directing style was adaptable to the hustle and bustle of Moscow, a welcomed change from the rural efforts of ‘The Return’ and ‘The Banishment’. Retaining his ornate use of long, lingering shots of brutalist architecture to soak in contemporary Russia. Occasionally, such as the nurse tidying Vladimir’s private ward, specific scenes added no real substance to the plot and disconnected the central thematic narrative. When Sasha joins a gang and hunts down rival youths, in a glorious elongated handheld sequence, it again added nothing to the film. Especially when it’s suddenly cut to a progressed scene without addressing the events that just occurred. The flow meanders, but rapidly straightens itself back out.Performances kept the drama grounded constantly. Markina exhuming subtle fragility during times of distress and moments of artificial confidence. Smirnov commanding each conversation with his bellowing voice that is subconsciously masqueraded as wisdom. Lyadova and Rozin granted less screen time in comparison, but make sizeable impressions. No groundbreaking scenes of excess drama to challenge these actors. Just a constant stream of natural conversations.Elena organically dissects a society that is rampantly disintegrating from class division. Analysing a country that believes it has progressed, only for a sizeable portion of its population to be left with scraps. This isn’t a hyperbolised environment. This is now.

I'm very glad I bought this DVD because it presents an intriguing and at times tragic human episode through the characters caught up in its narrative. These characters are all (as in real life) flawed and it is ironic that the one character who technically and intrinsically commits the greatest sin is the one for whom I felt the most sympathy at the end. OK for me that the film is not action packed and at times progresses at a lethargic pace but this to me is its strength - one of the reasons for its thought-provoking success is due to its sense of timing. The viewer is given the opportunity to weigh up the very serious issues that are at stake for the main players and to appreciate their slide towards what seems like the inevitable consequences. We are encouraged in today's world to think that our lives are full of ''choices'' by dint of the fact that we have ''freedom'' but this film (set in a Russia ''emancipated'' from communism) is a reminder that it's not quite so simple as that !

I saw all movies from this director and am a huge fan! I love this one as much as "the return", but his best so far is "Leviathan" - don't miss it!

Amazing movie about how things truly are in Russia. This story has played out thousands of times all over Russia and it is truly a horrifying reality. This film is so very beautifully shot, if you like Russian independent movies, which, in my experience are usually very well done in every way, this one's for you. Especially if you like 'em nice and DARK.

Quite slow to start but a beautiful mesmerisingFilm don't miss it !!! Totally brilliant JC CAMDEN