Elena (2011)

When a sudden illness and an unexpected reunion threaten dutiful housewife Elena's potential inheritance, she must hatch a desperate plan ...

Director:

Andrey Zvyagintsev

Writers:

Andrey Zvyagintsev, Oleg Negin (screenplay)

Stars:

Nadezhda Markina, Andrey Smirnov, Elena Lyadova

11 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Nadezhda Markina	...	Elena
Andrey Smirnov	...	Vladimir
Elena Lyadova	...	Katerina
Aleksey Rozin	...	Sergey
Evgeniya Konushkina	...	Tatyana
Igor Ogurtsov	...	Aleksandr
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Igor Yurtaev

Storyline

Elena and Vladimir are an older couple, they come from different backgrounds. Vladimir is a wealthy and cold man, Elena comes from a modest milieu and is a docile wife. They have met late in life and each one has children from previous marriages. Elena's son is unemployed, unable to support his own family and he is constantly asking Elena for money. Vladimir's daughter is a careless young woman who has a distant relationship with her father. A heart attack puts Vladimir in hospital, where he realizes that his remaining time is limited. A brief but somehow tender reunion with his daughter leads him to make an important decision: she will be the only heiress of his wealth. Back home he announces it to Elena. Her hopes to financially help her son suddenly vanish. The shy and submissive housewife then comes up with a plan to give her son and grandchildren a real chance in life.

---

Plot Keywords:

hospital | heart attack | will | murder of husband | class differences | 

---

Genres:

Drama

---

Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Russia

Language:

Russian

Release Date:

29 September 2011 (Russia)

Also Known As:

Jelena

Filming Locations:

Biryulyovo, Vostochnoye District, Moscow, Russia

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$9,035 (USA) (18 May 2012)

Gross:

$228,239 (USA) (28 September 2012)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Non-Stop Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

During filming, Andrey Smirnov accidentally broke two ribs while "playing around" with his son outside the set. He felt ashamed to tell the truth on set and said he had slipped on the bathroom floor.

---

Connections

Referenced in Palace (2012)

User Reviews

Not a Good Respite after Viewing The Borgias

I watched six episodes of The Borgias (Season 1) in as many days and decided that I needed a break so I turned patriotic and went to the nearest cineplex to watch Elena. Not a good idea although I returned to The Borgias happier than I had left them - Episode 7 looked like a light comedy compared to Elena.

The best part of the film was the acting by Andrey Smirnov (Vladimir) and Nadezhda Markina (Elena). Actors who play their children are also very talented. The director uses long shots without single edit quite liberally and it creates almost unbearable suspense.

I would recommend this film to anyone who can stomach watching slow-moving horror. It is a scandal that the Russian National Academy of Motion Picture Arts did not nominate Elena for Oscar. The film is brilliant although it does not provide a good respite for watching The Borgias.