Elena (2012)
85%RT Audience Score: 73%
Awards & Nominations: 12 wins & 10 nominations
Andrey Zvyagintsev’s Elena is a masterful exploration of the complexities of modern Russian society, deftly weaving together themes of class, capitalism, and the human condition. With luxurious cinematography and restrained performances, particularly from the talented Nadezhda Markina, Elena is a slow-burning thriller that will leave even the most closeted pessimist feeling oddly satisfied. Zvyagintsev’s expert direction constructs a world that is both vivid and oblique, spinning a web of intrigue that will keep audiences on the edge of their seats. This film is a deeply satisfying and intelligent exploration of the human psyche, and a must-see for anyone interested in the complexities of contemporary Russian society.
Elena is like a Russian nesting doll – it may seem simple on the outside, but as you peel back the layers, you’ll find a complex and chilling thriller. Andrey Zvyagintsev’s direction is masterful, painting a vivid picture of contemporary Moscow society that will leave you feeling like you need a shot of vodka to warm up. But don’t worry, you won’t need subtitles for that. Overall, Elena is a must-see for anyone who loves a good slow-burn thriller with a side of social commentary.
Production Company(ies)
Cristaldifilm Les Films, Ariane Rai 3
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Sao Paulo, Brazil
MPAA / Certificate
Year of Release
2014
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:1.78 : 1
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Runtime:NA
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Language(s):Portuguese, English
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Country of origin:Brazil
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Release date:Release Date (Streaming): Oct 30, 2012
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Yelena Lyadova, Nadezhda Markina, Aleksey Rozin, Andrey Smirnov, Evgeniya Konushkina, Igor Ogurtsov, directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev, written by Oleg Negin, drama, Russian, box office performance, budget, reviewed by J Hoberman, Donald Clarke, Derek Malcolm, Peter Bradshaw, Leo Robson, David Jenkins, Mattie Lucas, Nicholas Bell, Molly Templeton, Kelly Jane Torrance, produced by Alexander Rodnyansky, MPAA rating, inheritance, family drama, wealth, class clash, Moscow, capitalism, domestic thriller, noir, slow-building, subtitled, unhappy people, impending doom
Worldwide gross: $345,011
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $431,177
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,777
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 47,020
US/Canada gross: $25,788
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $32,228
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,779
US/Canada opening weekend: $10,341
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $12,924
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,648
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Nadezhda Markina – Elena
Aleksey Rozin – Sergey
Andrey Smirnov – Vladimir
Evgeniya Konushkina – Tatyana
Igor Ogurtsov – Aleksandr
Director(s)
Andrey Zvyagintsev
Writer(s)
Oleg Negin
Producer(s)
Alexander Rodnyansky
Film Festivals
South by Southwest
Awards & Nominations
12 wins & 10 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (65) | Top Critics (29) | Fresh (61) | Rotten (4)
Andrey Zvyagintsev is the most internationally-acclaimed Russian filmmaker to emerge during the Putin era, and his expertly directed third feature Elena is, albeit oblique, the most vivid evocation I’ve seen of Moscow’s contemporary society.
February 25, 2019
J. Hoberman
ARTINFO.com
TOP CRITIC
It’s very gloomy. It’s very Russian. It’s as powerful as any picture released this season.
November 2, 2012 | Rating: 4/5
Donald Clarke
Irish Times
TOP CRITIC
One of the very best Russian films of the past year.
October 26, 2012
Derek Malcolm
London Evening Standard
TOP CRITIC
A deeply satisfying film.
October 25, 2012 | Rating: 4/5
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian
TOP CRITIC
Zvyagintsev, who made The Return and The Banishment, does a good impression of constructing a world while secretly spinning a web.
October 25, 2012 | Rating: 4/5
Leo Robson
Financial Times
TOP CRITIC
A withering admonishment of capitalism and the emotional mindset that comes with.
October 25, 2012 | Rating: 4/5
David Jenkins
Little White Lies
TOP CRITIC
A riveting domestic thriller, an elegantly crafted glimpse into modern Russian life that speaks volumes while barely saying a word.
August 6, 2019 | Rating: 3/4
Mattie Lucas
From the Front Row
A class clash potboiler, it’s a simple but deliciously hypnotic narrative about wealth and the queer way it tends to push people out of their comfort zones.
July 24, 2019
Nicholas Bell
IONCINEMA.com
Luxurious cinematography, careful choices about focus and editing, and excellent, constrained performances, particularly from [Nadezhda] Markina, give Elena much greater depths than its plot suggests.
February 27, 2019
Molly Templeton
Eugene Weekly (OR)
Elena is more than just a simple thriller.
December 29, 2018 | Rating: 3/4
Kelly Jane Torrance
Washington Examiner
Many people can’t abide slow-building subtitled films about relentlessly unhappy people. But closet pessimists like myself and the Cannes judges will find Elena’s sense of impending doom oddly satisfying.
July 19, 2017
Lauren Carroll Harris
Concrete Playground
A chilly noir about the beaten paths and icy ruts of Russian life in the capital, post-Communism. In a land of schemers, Elena suggests, the urban cloisters of Moscow’s elite are as self-sealing as the lowly masses’ stifling Soviet-era flats.
May 6, 2013
Brian Gibson
Vue Weekly (Edmonton, Alberta)…
Plot
Elena is a Russian drama about a wealthy man who decides to leave his fortune to his daughter, cutting out his wife and her son from his will.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
NA
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