Pluskylang Great Film overall

Claysaba Excellent, Without a doubt!!

Brendon Jones It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Keira Brennan The movie is made so realistic it has a lot of that WoW feeling at the right moments and never tooo over the top. the suspense is done so well and the emotion is felt. Very well put together with the music and all.

nzpedals So, you thought Mick Jagger was just a floppy-mouthed, flamboyant rock-star? Think again. Here, he shows that he is also a very good actor. Untrained, so it seems, so perhaps all that stage prancing about is also acting? Here, he is quiet, suave, measured, and totally convincing!Byron, (Andy Garcia) works for an advertising agency, but when he writes a novel, he tells the boss, Go... yourself". But then finds that his book is not selling very well. The first scene, where he persuades a lady to buy his book is one of the best-ever first scenes you will ever see.Then he rents a room to write in that is away from the distractions of a beautiful wife and child. Alas, writers block stalls him. His agent and publisher are not very helpful. He meets Luther (Jagger) from an adjacent office, who offers him a job. Luther runs an escort agency, catering for wealthy women who need a male, for whatever... (rotten job, but someone has to do it?, or... nice work if you can get it?).One of the clients is Andrea Alcott (Olivia Williams) whose husband is older, dying but accepts that his wife needs... company and so, when he comes across them... quietly turns and leaves the bedroom.Mr Alcott is a very successful writer, but Byron finds fault with his latest book. After some 'words', Alcott agrees to rewrite it, with Byron's help, and they agree to share the royalties. Alas, nothing is written down. So, after Alcott dies, things change.At the end, he writes another book and has another bookshop experience, this also is very good, and helps tie the movie together.Williams is so elegant, so real. An outstanding performance. All the cast are excellent too, and there are some especially good scenes with memorable dialogue.

speedo58 How does Hollywood love the Mephisto story? Let's count the many ways. It has been done and redone and it has long since ceased to be shocking. Are there any new stories out there? Who wouldn't like to take the easy way out of a career that is going nowhere? Andy Garcia has his usual long, pouty face. Mick Jagger proves he is a good musician. Angelica Houston proves she can light up any story. Juliana Margulies is a good mother. James Coburn is intriguing as the dying author contriving to have a legacy, but Olivia Williams isn't beautiful enough to carry off the part of his wife and co-conspirator. Very disappointing.

Lee Zebold As necessity is the mother of invention, this story brings us to the essence of a man who will do anything to provide for his family, even if it means risking its demise. There are very provocative truths brought forth exposing a man's desperation and men's failure at self respect making them impotent. It reveals the grist that men share which drives them to achieve against all odds.Surprise actor, Mick Jagger, does an excellent job with his character, showing an ability never seen in his normal singing life. Andy Garcia is the core character, and with style, and respect to the struggle, handles the part as a pro.

Random Task The road to hell is always paved with good intentions. It is the axiom pitfall that catches so many; including Andy Garcia's character, Byron Tiller, in `The Man from Elesian Fields'. Having thrown years into a failed novel, Byron grows increasingly desperate to make ends meet for his family and find success. Compromising himself for what he needs, he finds an easy answer in the employ of Elesian Fields, a male escort service operated by Luther Fox (Mik Jagger). It is a classically executed set-up, but because the script has so much to say before the final fade out, it staggers like a buss boy who has picked up too many dishes from too many tables.After the proper cajoling and encouraging, Luther sets Byron up on his first assignment with the beautiful wife of a renowned multi-Pulitzer writer. Byron doesn't go easily into this abyss. He won't escort Andrea (Olivia Williams) beyond her limo door after an opera the first night and is greatly relieved to return home to his wife Dena (Juliana Margulies). The second date, however, progresses until the date and escort have their lovemaking interrupted by a visit from Andrea's elderly and approving husband, Tobias (James Coburn). Tobias extends an invitation for Byron to work with him on revising his last book. Byron soon finds himself leading the dizzying life of working for Luther, Andrea and Tobias while never letting Dena know about his escort duties with Andrea.The first hour of the film is tightly written and gracefully proceeds with the steady and beautiful cinematography of Kramer Morgenthau. After the writers start exchanging ideas, the pace of the film picks up considerably. Conversation becomes swept aside in montages and assumptions. Even the music, subtle and appropriate in the first half draws unnecessary attention in the second half. The situation is familiar. Betrayed couples are as old as time. Struggling writers are found throughout cinema. The thing that separates them is the individual characters and interaction. Those and the heartfelt dialog get lost in bringing the story to where it is expected to end to make the author's statement. Far from poor, but never really convincing, `Elesian Fields' is best noted for the acting it harbors. James Coburn plays a dying artist with dignity and is smart enough to let his poise crumble from time to time. Mik Jagger is wonderfully understated as the dispenser of temptation and his moments of disappointment with Anjelica Huston round out an award-worthy performance. Andy Garcia believably balances an quiet man whose temper gets the best of him now and again. Only Juliana Margulies is underused. It's unfortunate that so much talent could not overcome the other more intrinsic weaknesses.