Rotten Tomatoes
Suggestions will appear as you start typing. Submit search Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

Elegy

Play trailer Poster for Elegy R 2008 1h 51m Drama Romance Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
74% Tomatometer 121 Reviews 61% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
David Kepesh (Ben Kingsley), a renowned professor, has no interest in monogamy. Instead, he prefers to dabble in lustful flings with women. When he meets Consuela Castillo (Penélope Cruz), a student in her 20s, he is intensely attracted to her. Though his trusted friend George (Dennis Hopper) warns him not to become overly attached to the much younger Consuela, David begins to feel that his relationship with the student may become serious. However, his personal reservations may doom the affair.
Elegy

What to Know

Critics Consensus

An intelligent, adult, and provocative Philip Roth adaptation that features classy performances, Elegy is never quite the sum of its parts.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View More
Deborah Ross The Spectator Aug 23, 2018
The stillness of the performances combined with Coixet's direction, which takes it time, and that bloody piano tinkling and tinkling away make it all rather heavy going; makes you feel as if you've just swum uphill through treacle. Go to Full Review Sandra Hall Sydney Morning Herald Apr 10, 2009
4/5
Coixet has blunted the impact of the novel's ending just as she has softened Roth's misanthropic depiction of Kepesh and, as a result, she's taken flak for being over-polite. I didn't care. Go to Full Review Jonathan F. Richards Film.com Nov 10, 2008
With his fierce, impeccable craft Kingsley shows us around David's tortured, preening, desperate psyche. Go to Full Review Bárbara Escamilla Cinemanía (Spain) Nov 6, 2020
3/5
A sincere and careful but unexpectedly subdued film. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review Felicia Feaster Charleston City Paper Jan 27, 2020
Smart and devastatingly sad, Elegy is at heart a film about the many damned-to-fail ways we try to protect ourselves from the inevitable certainty of death. Go to Full Review Ellie Lucas From the Front Row Jul 7, 2019
3/4
A finely crafted, intelligently written work, featuring some exceptional performances by Ben Kingsley and Penelope Cruz. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More
Robert P @Superbad Oct 11, 2026 Elegy is a *3.5* star Movie! See more Maarit L @Komedienne Aug 28, 2026 No one else knows how to make "New York" movies quite like Woody Allen. This one just feels completely fake somehow. If you want to see a film about a professor who falls in love with a young woman, watch Manhattan instead. Great actors, that is why ⭐️⭐️ See more Brad S. R @RT07389644 Mar 28, 2025 A thoughtful and moving mediation on love, old age, and May-December relationships. See more Aug 8, 2023 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 See more Jan 17, 2021 Wonderfully self-aware film that know what it is and overachieves in each of its aspects; wonderful casting See more Aug 10, 2020 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. See more Read all reviews
Elegy

My Rating

Read More Read Less WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW POST RATING

Cast & Crew

View All

Isabel Coixet

Director

Penélope Cruz

Consuela Castillo

Ben Kingsley

David Kepesh

Dennis Hopper

George O'Hearn

Peter Sarsgaard

Kenneth Kepesh

Patricia Clarkson

Carolyn

More Like This

View All
Feast of Love 40% 55% Feast of Love Watchlist Two Lovers 81% 59% Two Lovers Watchlist The Last Kiss 45% 59% The Last Kiss Watchlist Ask the Dust 36% 41% Ask the Dust Watchlist Last Night 54% 46% Last Night Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Related Movie News

View All
View All

Elegy

View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis David Kepesh (Ben Kingsley), a renowned professor, has no interest in monogamy. Instead, he prefers to dabble in lustful flings with women. When he meets Consuela Castillo (Penélope Cruz), a student in her 20s, he is intensely attracted to her. Though his trusted friend George (Dennis Hopper) warns him not to become overly attached to the much younger Consuela, David begins to feel that his relationship with the student may become serious. However, his personal reservations may doom the affair.
Director
Isabel Coixet
Producer
Gary Lucchesi, Tom Rosenberg, Andre Lamal
Screenwriter
Nicholas Meyer
Distributor
Samuel Goldwyn Company
Production Co
Lakeshore Entertainment
Rating
R (Nudity|Language|Sexuality)
Genre
Drama, Romance
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 8, 2008, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 9, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA)
$3.6M
Runtime
1h 51m
Join The Newsletter Join The Newsletter Cookie Settings