ELENA - QUEERGURU

In Andre Zvyagintsev’s rather somber movie set in modern-day Moscow its painfully clear that despite all its fine principles post Soviet Russia is simply just another society where the ‘have’ and the ‘have not’s’ bitterly resent each other. The wealthy have greatly profited from the new capitalism whilst the poor are finding it difficult to cope without the level playing of the old regime.

60-something Elena is married to Vladimir an older wealthy man and the fact that in the very opening scene we see her sleeping on a day bed in an adjoining room, speaks volumes about their marriage. Ten years prior Elena was Vladimir’s nurse when he was hospitalized and then she ended up moving into his luxury penthouse apartment as his caregiver, and two years ago they eventually got married. There is however no sign of any love or affection in this relationship.

Both of them have grown up children by previous marriages, although neither give either of them much joy. Elena’s son Sergey is a layabout who sits around all day drinking heavily in his small squalid apartment in the Projects. He just wants his mother to fund his efforts to enable his own rather obnoxious son buy his way out of the Army Draft by using Vladimir’s money. Vladimir’s daughter Katerina is a spoilt brat who is happily to let him bankroll her very expensive and indulgent lifestyle although she never ever visits or even calls her father.

Vladimir suffers a heart attack and back in hospital he tells Elena that he will not give Sergey any help at all. He is also going to make a Will that whilst it will provide an annuity to her for the rest of her life, his entire estate will be left to his daughter. Vladmir tells Elena that he has an appointment with his Lawyer the next morning, which shakes this docile woman, that everyone uses as a doormat, into making an impulsive and fateful decision of her own.

Even the affluent area of Moscow seems stark and forbidding which adds to the dark tone of these rather soul-less people and their greed. Standing head and shoulders above it, is Elena always calm and unruffled with no agenda of her own and totally subservient to both husband son, even though neither of them like or respect her. It’s the remarkable tour-de-force completely understated performance by Nadezhda Markina that makes this movie so gripping. She is completely wonderful. Without even a hint of a single emotion we never learn Elena’s real motivations for her total unselfishness. Could it be that a mother protects her offspring regardless of anything else? I doubt it. I think.

Ms Markina’s performance is THE reason that makes this movie UNMISSABLE. That, and the most perfect Philip Glass score!

Mr Zvyagintsev picked up a Special Jury Award at ‘A Certain Regard’ at Cannes Film Festival for this his third feature film. His first ‘The Return’ met with great acclaim and many awards, but the second one ‘The Banishment’ was so dire it never got released in the USA and very few people saw it. I was one of them, but not to the very end, it was too depressing even for me! (I have the DVD if you want to borrow it!).

★★★★★★★★