Elena (2011)

Director
Andrey Zvyagintsev

Main cast
Nadezhda Markina; Aleksey Rozin; Andrey Smirnov; Elena Lyadova

Genres
Drama, Thriller

Description
Winner of Cannes' Un Certain Regard Special Jury Prize, Elena is a gripping, modern twist on the classic noir thriller. Sixty-ish spouses Vladimir and Elena uneasily share his palatial Moscow apartment -- he's a still-virile, wealthy businessman, she's his former nurse who has "married up." Estranged from his own wild-child daughter, Vladimir openly despises his wife's freeloading son and family. But when a sudden illness and an unexpected reunion threaten the dutiful housewife's potential inheritance, she must hatch a desperate plan... Masterfully crafted by award-winning Russian filmmaker Andrey Zvyagintsev, featuring evocative, Hitchcockian music by Philip Glass, Elena is a subtly stylish exploration of crime, punishment, and human nature.


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