RipDelight This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

Glimmerubro It is not deep, but it is fun to watch. It does have a bit more of an edge to it than other similar films.

Janis One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

Fulke Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

sergepesic After Zvyagintsev's first movie, "The Return", I desperately wanted to see more of his work. He made another movie that I couldn't find, and finally- "Elena". New Russia, few new rich, and not so new, many poor. The land of fake equality became a land of stunning disparity. And the same kind of ruthless, lacking conscience kind of person that thrived in communism, does ever so well in the pool of greed and self-absorption. It was always about money and power, anyway. Cruel world and cruel deeds. What would one do for those he or she loves, no matter how undeserving they are. Apparently everything, even kill. Human capacity for evil surpasses very few things, and the ability to justify evil tops everything else. Hence the world we live in. Very simple actually, but still beyond comprehension of billions.

paul2001sw-1 Andrey Zvyagintsev 's 'The Return' is my favourite film to date of the 21st century. 'Elena', a personal drama that illuminates the class structure in contemporary Russia, is not quite so powerful – it's very slow, and the ambiguity of motive that drove the earlier film is not there. And on first viewing it wasn't clear to me whether the shocking but strangely ambivalent ending is a work of genius or the sign of a film that has lost its focus. Still, the director's ability to construct haunting, unexpected images has not deserted him; some scenes reminded me of Keislowski in his Polish phase, just about the highest praise I can give.

starman_vagabond The third installment from Andrewi Zvyagintsev (after his success in Banishment and The return) had brought the audience back from a rural environment to a contemporary upper class city story. Yet, the coldness and alienation remains, if not become crueler than ever. Philip Grass's trademark minimalistic music score, tidy cinematography from Mikhail Krichman (partnering with Zvyagintsev since the return) had certainly helped to create this tight but yet claustrophobic atmosphere.The story unfolded with a routine yet mundane relationship of an elderly couple , lonesome and confine from one another to the point that they could see as a Master/servant relationship (even though such distance had closed up eventually as the story goes on). The architectural references, esp. the luxurious but minimalistic apartment which they stayed (but in separate rooms); are all too clear to define their relationship. The husband, Vladimir, a wealthy Russian Businessman only met his wife (Elena), a care-taking nurse at his late age. Their only real conversion only happened in a breakfast table and argument soon broke out because of money issue. Both are having their off-spring from previous marriage which affects their own relationship with one other. Indeed, the real relationship of the couple was really with their own child, as have been a consistent theme applied by the director on his previous film. The way the mother (Elena) react over-protectively towards to her own incompetent sons; as well as the rich father's frosty (but actually intimate) relationship with her spoiled yet nomad daughter (brilliantly played by Yelena Lyadova) had allowed the audience to take a closer look to the internal struggle/dilemma of their own characters.From another perspective, these kind of struggles also reflected how capitalism affect the modern Russia, as evidenced on strong contrast between the protagonists' apartment and her son's cheap social housing. The desire of simply to stay afloat had never been stronger and as Elena shows at the end, one could do anything to help their next generation to have a better life. The ruthlessness of a mother and their need for doing anything possible to protect their own son, including committing a crime, had been shown mercilessly here in a similar way as with "Mother (2009)" from Korean director, Joon-ho Bong.Indeed, the only character who can be truthful to herself and particularly, able to show any real affection to the one that she really cares, was Vladimir's daughter. The scene where she and her father finally able to make up for their long term issue should be one of the highlight of the film, and probably one of the warmest spot, so much so it redeems Vladimir's as once a very caring father. The rest, however, are simply ice cold and empty, as the weather outside and the branches from tree outside the flat.

azsara A curious film to behold, in parts captivating and enticing, it dwindles into somewhat of a pointless parody where one is unsure quite where Andrey Zvyagintsev was going with this one..or if he even knew himself.I shall explain. We are introduced to two curious characters. Elena, the doting housewife/carer and Vladimir - the provider, stern as he is sensible. The film unravels and is successful in its purpose to entertain us, we have questions, curiosities as the audience, we admire Elena and her stoicism, her domesticity, and her obedience.As the film progresses we question the roles we have assigned the characters, and as it continues on our original thoughts start to spiral in an uncontrolled kind of chaos, until we reach the climax of the film, and find ourselves lost in some kind of demented Russian imagination.Enjoy