A thoughtful and moving mediation on love, old age, and May-December relationships.

Ben Kingsley and Penelope Cruz David is a teacher who used to be married back in the 1960s But he's only ever bounced from woman to woman never staying in a long term relationship Then he meets Consuela, one of his students beautiful beyond measure Inexplicably he starts a bond with her he couldn't fathom so it possible he might fall in love Yet he has to think about the pros and cons; is there a future or is she too young for him? Consuela has to remind him of the things she wants to do to move forward not just him, she wants to know who she is for him Old age sneaks up on you, how can a man not grow up?, is it possible to find anyone without sex?, there's a difference between growing up and growing old The movie is brutally honest about the subject matter, explicit with its dialogue, and has terrific performances Yet it's too long and Cruz disappears after the first half which is very bizarre It's a very quiet somber viewing yet Kingsley and Cruz are sympathetic enough

Ben Kingsley plays a well respected professor who begins a relationship with a younger woman played by the alluring Penelope Cruz and suddenly feels very jealous and possessive of his newfound love. Really well acted film with a fantastic cast which also features Patricia Clarkson and Dennis Hopper. Very well told story.

Wonderfully self-aware film that know what it is and overachieves in each of its aspects; wonderful casting

Such an eloquent and sensitive film about the relationship between older men and younger women. This film gives so much space to character development. Every time you think thhe screenplay is becoming predictable it gives you more. Ben Kingsley offers an amazing performance. Cruz and Hooper are fantastic. If your heart is open prepare to have it cut.

Sometimes it's just hard to see how a movie with so much otherwise excellent talent, that has been showcased numerous instances in other movies, can be so bad in this movie, which forces you to believe you can only attribute it to a bad director. One sticks with watching this movie because you keep expecting it to get better. Don't do it, because it doesn't.

i think this movie offers an honest and touching view of love by an old cynic, without losing romanticism. I didn't understand a choice made by the main character, but maybe this is how it was originally written.

This was so painfully slow I thought I had been watching for 10 hours. I thought all the scenes involved Penelope Cruz and she disappeared for a third of the movie. Ben Kingsley looks the same every movie. He is a master actor. I heard some "Don Logan" coming out of his lines at times. I found the Dennis Hopper scenes a little odd. Peter Sarsgaard as his son was a grumpy horrible git until toward the end. Patricia Clarkson what a complete tart. Wont see her in the same light again. All in all bit to slow but Penelope is super hot.

The story deftly examines the price of independence and freedom from emotional ties, as well as the inevitable confrontation with the loss of sexual influence, and the pain of having to let go of the things you love deeply.. A challenging film to be sure, as it is constrained in the point of view of an unreliable narrator given to objectifying women and fetishizing hedonism. Yet despite being trapped in this old man's fantasy, the film still moving and surprisingly relatable for those of a certain age.

Beautifully done and haunting.

An emotionally intense film. It is a bit melodramatic at tomes but all the performances are good. Hopper actually plays a half-way normal character! Cruz is absolutely luminous in this.

Dennis Hopper & Patricia Clarkson are awesome, an interesting movie with good performances but a bit unrealistic/unrelatable I guess?

Ben Kingsley and Penelope Cruz are excellent in this movie. A man having a May/December romance finds himself in the unfamiliar territory of actually falling in love, despite the fact that he despises commitments.

good acting from Kingsley and Cruz but the film falls flat on a few occasions. Thought provoking and well acted but could of been bwtter

Watching this film blindly not knowing the synopsis or having watched the trailer leads to re-establishing it's focus throughout. Beautiful, yet simultaneously tragic, Ben Kingsley really acts this simplistic role well

Smart, mature, well-acted and elegantly crafted, Elegy is a beautiful piece of work that poses deep existential ideas.

Quietly beautiful, with powerhouse acting from Kingsley, Cruz and Clarkson.

wow....sad.....very very very touching......man this is such a really really really sad movie 2 watch......its got a good cast of actors/actressess throughout this movie.....i think that penelope cruz, ben kingsley, dennis hopper (.R.I.P.), patricia clarkson, peter sarsgaard, play good roles/parts throughout this movie.....i think that the director of this drama movie had done a great job of directing this movie because you never know what 2 expect throughout this movie....i think that this is such a really sad movie 2 watch, it is such a beautifully directed movie 2 watch, its got a great cast throughout this movie.....i think that both penelope cruz/ben kingsley were absolutley brilliant throughout this movie..... Elegy received generally favorable reviews from the majority of critics. It currently holds a 75% "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes with the consensus "An intelligent, adult, and provocative Philip Roth adaptation that features classy performances, Elegy is never quite the sum of its parts." The film also holds a rating of 66/100 based on thirty-two reviews on Metacritic, indicating "generally favorable" reviews Top ten lists:: The film appeared on several critics' top ten lists of the best films of 2008. 3rd - Kimberly Jones, The Austin Chronicle 4th - Mike Russell, The Oregonian 5th - Marjorie Baumgarten, The Austin Chronicle 6th - Andrea Gronvall, Chicago Reader man this is such a really really really sad movie 2 watch, it is such a brilliantly well written/acted/directed movie 2 watch, its got a great cast throughout this movie....,man this is such a really powerful drama movie 2 watch, its got a great cast throughout this movie..... the whole cast is:::: Penélope Cruz as Consuela Castillo Ben Kingsley as David Kepesh Dennis Hopper as George O'Hearn Patricia Clarkson as Carolyn Peter Sarsgaard as Kenneth Kepesh Deborah Harry as Amy O'Hearn Charlie Rose as Charlie Rose Antonio Cupo as Younger Man Michelle Harrison as 2nd Student Sonja Bennett as Beth Chelah Horsdal as Susan Reese man this is such a powerful drama movie 2 watch, this is such a really really really sad movie 2 watch, its got a great cast throughout this movie, it is such a really really really sad movie 2 watch, The film is set in New York City, but was filmed in Vancouver its got a good soundtrack throughout this movie....man this is such a really powerful drama movie 2 watch, its got a great cast throughout this movie, man this is such a powerful drama movie 2 watch, it is such a really sad movie 2 watch, its got a great cast throughout this movie....man this is such a fantastic movie 2 watch, with a great cast throughout this movie....it is such a powerful drama movie 2 watch, it is a really really really sad movie 2 watch, but it is such a fantastic movie 2 watch......

There comes along a film that causes wonder, a change of current, and ultimately causes a reexamination of importances in every relationship. For the accords we carry, at times, we place them beneath our microscope of discernment in a petri dish for scrutiny- we then determine those we leave and others we yearn to hold onto. Kingsley's character was a seasoned tom cat who refuted commitments until tragedy struck the very breasts of a young brunette he adored- 30 years younger in Penelope Cruz' character. In short, following the death of his close friend (Hopper) and the release of an unwarranted relationship with a damsel his age, he found purpose. He found the answer to what his heart relayed countless of times when wallowing in the rain, after each of his insecurities and heart of brokenness, a revealing illuminated him through that hurtful space, and he found the definition in someone who truly loved him.

Great acting by both leads, but something is missing!