MovieChat Forums > Elegy (2008) Discussion > Self-Indulgent, Exploitive, Pornographic...

Self-Indulgent, Exploitive, Pornographic Piece of Crap

posted 15 years ago by firexwood
34 replies | jump to latest

this movie was not about love. what wrote this was some white man's middle-age, middle-class fantasy about naked women suffering. The only good thing about this movie is the soundtrack and Penelope Cruz' beauty. The director should have just played Vivaldi and Bach and let the camera explore Cruz' body for two hours. The last 30 minutes of the film should have ended up in the editor's trash can and ben kingsely could have found out momentarily consuella had suffered and died after their so-called affair. this is truly a self-indulgent, exploitive and at times near-pornographic piece of crap.

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[–] rhoward-13 15 years ago

I just wasted my time watching this yesterday. I 100% agree with your review. I was waiting to see if they continued with the sham by showing the pictures K took of Penelope along with your plot ending.

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[–] lakealice 15 years ago

I agree totally with everything you say. Also, the last part was, to me, very boring and tedious and predictable, from the moment she walked in with short hair and dark circles under her eyes.

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[–] AlexMorgan13 15 years ago

i agree other than Penelope Cruz nudity, not much else to this movie...

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[–] Jamesdean55 15 years ago

I think we saw a different movie. Being a young 26 year old man while still having been through many short term and long term relationships I saw exactly what the main character was going through. I know many men that go through this same crisis in life. Young or old.

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[–] robfwoods 10 years ago

"Many" long term relationships - 26 years old? I don't think so.

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[–] jaker_breaker 15 years ago

So the movie is "crap" because it's "pornographic," but it could've been improved by having the director play "Vivaldi and Bach and let the camera explore Cruz' body for two hours"?

I mean, I wouldn't call the film pornographic in the slightest, but if you think that's what porn is, why is the cure to focus even more on the nudity? fool.

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[–] cosmo111687 15 years ago

I couldn't disagree more. I thought the film was an engaging, realistic, and tender depiction of a man coming to learn the value of love late in his life. And the soundtrack and cinematography were stunning. Well worth my time. 8/10.

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[–] GTWiecz 14 years ago

"a man coming to learn the value of love late in his life"? Not really. More about an old unsightly guy knowing a beautiful young woman was offering herself to him so he did not have to bang the middle aged dried up F** buddy he had anymore. Why miss the chance? of course he would fall in love people, she is gorgeous, young, sensual, smart and developed a crush on him. The concept of love is too glamourized in our culture. I really doubt he would have "loved" her if she was overweight or 58 years old...

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[–] infodump 14 years ago

it's even better. he still loves her after her breasts are removed.

Psychos do not explode when sunlight hits them, no matter how crazy they are!

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[–] robfwoods 10 years ago

He never answered her

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[–] Mooowah 12 years ago

How cosmo summed it up- perfect. After watching it, I felt the same way. I think bitter people cant accept that message!!

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[–] vestdennis 11 years ago

Yes the world is changing (not necessarily for the better) but no girl like Cruz would go for a man like Kingsley. Infatuation maybe, father-figure, etc. Girls would chase a man who was loaded (how the heck does Hugh Hefner get 18 year old girls? MONEY, fame, jet set life) but not some aging professor who probably needs help getting out of the bed in the morning...

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[–] psdhart 8 years ago

So the movie is "crap" because it's "pornographic," but it could've been improved by having the director play "Vivaldi and Bach and let the camera explore Cruz' body for two hours"?

I mean, I wouldn't call the film pornographic in the slightest, but if you think that's what porn is, why is the cure to focus even more on the nudity? fool.

OMG, boobs, run for the hills

I agree, hardly pornographic 

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[–] achyfakey 14 years ago

I liked it.

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[–] A_Normal_Person 14 years ago

This is most likely the rantings of an adolescent because clearly they have no understand of getting or being old thus lack the maturity to access at least half of this movie or what took place. Similarly lack the empathy and sympathy clearly toward the old or the dying which is what the movie was about not "some white man's middle-age, middle-class fantasy about naked women suffering." They should perhaps return when they grow up and re-read this nonsense they and their immature friends posted, I would recommend at least a generation later, maybe 2.

Dislike what UR viewing _what UR hearing _whatever's happening! U could go elsewhere or turn it off

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[–] ChazzJazz 14 years ago

as they say:

Youth is wasted on the Young

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[–] WarpedRecord 14 years ago

I might update the old adage: Youth is wasted on the Internet.

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[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Bklyn4ever 14 years ago

After all the bad reviews this film received, I was surprised to find that it was quite beautiful, realistic, well-made, and exquisitely-acted and photographed.

You know because of Philip Roth that there will be a selfish, intellectual jerk who walks all over women he doesn't remotely deserve. His saving graces will be his wit, penetrating perception, and relentless passion for life. It will be talky, because the self-revelation tends to be mental rather than visual. However, the combination of an empathetic female director (Isabel Coixet), a nuanced Ben Kingsley, and a charmingly vulnerable Penelope Cruz definitely lift this movie out of the "failed adaptation" category. I really look forward to seeing it again sometime.

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[–] zachanscom 13 years ago

firexwood makes a hilarious and salient point.

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[–] EliotNess48170 13 years ago

This post sounds like we are on some Church chat line and all these comments are from "Christians" who just saw a naked woman for the first time!!

You all gave me a good laugh!!

Near pornographic?? You need to learn the meaning of the word Pornographic!!

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[–] Breast_in_Pieces 13 years ago

"hilarious" ?

don't you mean contradicting ??

he calls it pornographic, and then proceeds to say Penelope Cruz' beauty was the only good thing about it ??

Lauren Prosnan : Hollywood is God's way of saying America matters.

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[–] cryconscry 13 years ago

As Kingsley's character says about art at one point - our opinion of it changes every 10 years or so. Wait until your vigor and beauty - if you have either - is rusted away from father time and you begin to see the end of your days. Until then talking to you about the film's merits is akin to talking to a rock.

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[–] nerdflanders8710 13 years ago

did she die in the end? It didn't make it clear.

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[–] jesusroblesazul 13 years ago

I say it again: Women don´t make good movies. They do other things very well, but movies...

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[–] patpatterson 12 years ago

Im watching this now and I have to say Im not enjoying this because I just cant stand Davids charachter and I dont care what happens to him.Hes hollow,vain,deceitful,extremely selfish and an arrogant know it all.The affair between him and Consuela seems forced-I cant see how on earth she could be attracted to David.Penelope Cruz getting her kit off was the only part I enjoyed.In fact I just turned it off because its boring me now.

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[–] pc_buttspasm 11 years ago

So according to you, Kathryn Bigelow doesn't make good movies? Neither do Debra Granik, Susanne Bier, Amy Heckerling, Mary Harron, Mira Nair, Lynne Ramsey, Jane Campion, Miranda July, Isabel Coixet, Julie Taymor, or any number of other female filmmakers?

So you think that Winter's Bone, American Psycho, We Have to Talk About Kevin, Titus, The Secret Life of Words, Me and You and Everyone We Know, The Hurt Locker, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Little Miss Sunshine, Mississippi Masala, Monster, An Education, The Last Mistress, Sleeping Beauty, Strigoi Lost In Translation and Open Hearts (to name just a few) etc are all bad movies?

Or perhaps you're just making a lazy, sexist generalisation and don't really know what you're talking about. Yeah, that's probably it.

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[–] robfwoods 10 years ago

Was no longer relevant

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