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Elegy
There's a glittering cast in this adaptation of Philip Roth's Dying Animal. It's the tale of respected university professor, David (Ben Kingsley), who teaches literary criticism, publishes books about hedonism and has a habit of seducing his students - but who finds himself thoroughly undone by a ludicrously beautiful graduate student named Consuela (Penelope Cruz). In the wings are David's former student (now businesswoman and occasional bedroom companion) Carolyn (Patricia Clarkson), his troubled son Kenny (Peter Sarsgaard) and his best friend George (Dennis Hopper). They all look on as David becomes terribly, stupidly infatuated with Consuela: he follows her, becomes unbearably possessive and dwells too long on her physical attributes. What Consuela so evidently wants is someone who appreciates her inner talents and someone who offers commitment, which David - for all his madness - does not. This is a stirring, intense and involving movie. It's laden with excellent performances and is, more than anything, a fine tribute to Roth's work.
