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:

Oleg Negin (screenplay), Andrey Zvyagintsev

Stars:

Nadezhda Markina, Andrey Smirnov, Aleksey Rozin

23 wins & 23 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Nadezhda Markina	...	Elena
Andrey Smirnov	...	Vladimir
Elena Lyadova	...	Katerina
Aleksey Rozin	...	Sergey
Evgeniya Konushkina	...	Tatyana
Igor Ogurtsov	...	Sasha
Vasiliy Michkov	...	Lawyer (as Vasily Michkov)
Aleksey Maslodudov	...	Vitek
Ekaterina Tarkovskaya
Ivan Mulin
Nikita Slepchenkov
Yuriy Borisov
Igor Yurtaev
Yaroslav Zhalnin
Vasily Prokopyev

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.

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Plot Keywords:

submission | submissive | unhappy | marriage | happiness | 

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Taglines:

Thy Will Be Done.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

The block where Elena and Vladimir live is in Khamovniki, a prestigious district in the central Moscow. As of 2012, one apartment in that block cost around 10 million dollars. (Their apartment itself and its outside view, however, were filmed indoors, with artificial trees.) The block where Sergey's family live, and the power plant, are in Biryulyovo Zapadnoye District in the southern outskirts of Moscow. Director Andrey Zvyagintsev concealed the locations by replacing the street signs for the time of filming.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Elena: Get up...

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Connections

Features Davay pozhenimsya! (2008)

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Soundtracks

Casta Diva
from the opera "Norma"
Performed by Maria Callas
Written by Vincenzo Bellini
(P) EMI MUSIC INTERNATIONAL SERVICES Ltd.
/ SBA / GALA RECORDS Inc.

User Reviews

Thought provoking movie, from the Big Bear.

Sometimes downbeat but often a thought provoking Russian picture; concerning the central character (Elena) and her troubled family life. The issues and choices she has to both endure and subsequently execute, become the crux of the story. the immoral conclusion (incredibly) seems to be the most reasonable outcome and as blood is thicker than water, the ending deed seems as natural as it could ever possibly be. such slow burning tension comes as a welcome relief to the predictable crash, bang, wallop offered at the local multiplex. 'Elena' is actually a high quality thriller of an entirely different pace and it's a classic case of more drama, less action.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Russia

Language:

Russian

Release Date:

29 September 2011 (Russia)

Also Known As:

Elena

Filming Locations:

Moscow, Russia

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$9,035, 20 May 2012

Gross USA:

$233,380

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$2,227,905

Company Credits

Production Co:

Non-Stop Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1