Had writer/director Seth Grossman's The Elephant King not been shot on location in the seedy bars and brothels of Thailand, it would be stripped of its most intriguing component.
The Elephant King (2008)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:10
Fresh:2
Rotten:8
Average Rating:4.1/10
Rated: R [See Full Rating] for sexual content, drug use, language and some violence.
Runtime: 90 mins
Genre: Dramas
Theatrical Release:Oct 17, 2008 Limited
Synopsis: Oscar winner Ellen Burstyn (REQUIEM FOR A DREAM) stars in this drama that pits a pair of brothers against each other. The older brother, Jake (Jonno Roberts), lives in Thailand, continents away... Oscar winner Ellen Burstyn (REQUIEM FOR A DREAM) stars in this drama that pits a pair of brothers against each other. The older brother, Jake (Jonno Roberts), lives in Thailand, continents away from the legal trouble he created in America. His mother (Burstyn) sends her other son, Oliver (Tate Ellington), after him when charges are brought against Jake. Oliver finds Thailand as enticing as his older brother did before him. But the beauty he finds in the Asian country isn't limited to its scenery: Oliver begins a romance with Lek (Florence Faivre), which makes him reluctant to leave even as Jake's true nature is exposed. [More]
Starring: Ellen Burstyn, Tate Ellington, Jonno Roberts, Florence Faivre
Starring: Ellen Burstyn, Tate Ellington, Jonno Roberts, Florence Faivre, Josef Sommer, Debra Azar
Director: Seth Grossman
Director: Seth Grossman
Screenwriter: Seth Grossman
Producer: Emanuel Michael, Tamar Sela, Tom Waller
Composer: Adam Balazs
Studio: Unison Releasing
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Reviews for The Elephant King
erhaps a bit of star power, or at least less generic actors in the leads, might have given these underdeveloped siblings more credence or appeal.
An indie dud that mistakes lurid sensationalism for cultural exploration.
Director-writer Seth Grossman provides a lazy narrative, with stereotypical characters and plot. You just know what's going to happen, although the statuesque Faivre might take your mind off the shortcomings.
If Grossman had found something more to say about life in Thailand other than that almost any attractive woman there can be had for money, The Elephant King might have more potency.
There is in fact an elephant in The Elephant King, but his keepers are far from royal.
Seth Grossman's second feature as a director is beautiful to look at, solidly acted, unpredictable and sexy as hell.
Naïveté drives the characters and the filmmaking -- a lethal combination for a movie that’s desperate to come across as world-weary and wise.
Equivalent to a crummy band with a monster of a drummer who convinces you to stay for the whole show anyways.
Latest News for The Elephant King
September 28, 2008:
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| 45% 45% | Shorts |
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