Elena is a woman of a certain age, living in a chic Moscow apartment with her wealthy businessman husband Vladimir. The crime does not go unpunished, but the punishment seems mild to the point of nonexistence. Elena, a young Brazilian woman, travels to New York with the same dream as her mother, to become a movie actress. Instead, it's a disciplined, controlled and ultimately disappointing drama of family tension and murder. 4:18 PM PDT 7/28/2011 by THR Staff ... Russian maestro Andrei Zvyagintsev's "Elena" stands out by … Movie Review Searching for Her Sister, as Well as for Herself Petra Costa in “Elena,” a documentary that she directed about her sister, who settled in New York and later committed suicide. The Best Movies We Watched at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival Read More; What to Watch on FandangoNOW: ‘The Grizzlies,’ ’Antebellum,’ Pro Football Movies and More Read More; This Week in Movie News: Madonna to Direct Madonna Biopic, Jonathan Majors Joins ‘Ant-Man 3’ and More Read More Elena movie reviews & Metacritic score: Elena, a young Brazilian woman, travels to New York with dreams of becoming an actress. While Vladimir is estranged from his daughter, he does not mask his contempt for Elena's own child, who seems to be in constant need of financial assistance. Movie Reviews TV Reviews Roundtables Podcasts. Elena is a film deeply concerned with class resentment, but the filmmakers’ attitude—which is somehow simultaneously empathetic yet critical to the point of occasional resentment—toward their titular character is disconcerting and even shocking. 05/18/2012 07:54 am ET Updated Jul 18, 2012 Though billed as a Russian film noir, Elena skimps on the noir, and more's the pity. Elena: Film Review. Bridging Sofia's and Elena's stories, this movie is a must-see for fans of either (or both) of the popular Disney princess shows. Movie Review: Elena. Assembling all the major players from both characters' lives, this heartwarming tale shows how the two princesses' destinies crossed by way of the amulet King Roland gave to Sofia when he welcomed her to his family. Elena movie reviews & Metacritic score: Elena is a gripping, modern twist on the classic noir thriller. Review: A Dreamy Suicide is a Masterful Debut in Petra Costa’s ‘Elena’ ... while at the same time never imposing too much fact or speculation on a movie based in pure feeling. Featured Movie News. Zvyagintsev employs a clever misdirection. Elena’s son, Sergey (Aleksey Rozin), is a working-class layabout with a thuggish teenage son and no interest in finding a job.