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The Man from Elysian Fields

Under discussion:

The Man From Elysian Fields  (2001)
The Man From Elysian Fields is a movie you either love or hate. For example, Roger Ebert gave it a rare 4 out of 4 stars, yet the average rating on the Rotten Tomatoes web site is only 51%. I liked it. Byron (Andy Garcia) is a struggling fiction writer trying to support a loving wife and a baby boy. When his latest novel is rejected, he tells his wife it has been accepted. He is broke and cannot support his family. Through the bandishments of Luther (Mick Jagger), he reluctantly joins the high class male escort service Elysian Fields. Not by chance, his only client is the young, sophisticated wife of a famous, dying novelist who needs help writing his last book. As Byron is furiously doing excellent work on the novel, his dissatisfied wife finds an Elysian Fields card in his clothes.            This is a morality tale, a most unusual film for Hollywood. A man, through one weakness in his character, can cause a lot of trouble that he has to pay for and live with. Byron has many great qualities but loses his fragile self-esteem when he cannot support his family. The ending is cautiously optimistic: Andy Garcia, as one of the producers, insisted that the ending leave at least the possibility of redemption. Significantly, Hickenbottom, the director, wanted to make an independent film that was not post-modern, not edgy, not cynical. An intelligent screen play, good directing, fine acting, and unobtrusive camera work tell this romance and morality tale in a straight-forward and engaging manner. It is nice to see something different come out of Hollywood, and the movie has something interesting and important to say.

posted on Sunday, April 29, 2007 6:48 PM by JimBell


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