I saw the second showing of The Elephant King at the 5th Annual Tribeca Film Festival on Saturday, April 29th, 2006 and was thoroughly entranced by this cinematic masterpiece. Unfortunately I was not able to make it for the premiere of the film on Wednesday, April 26th, but I think that this showing was equally or possibly more enjoyable, due to the fact that it was shown in a larger theater with a larger, brighter screen and a better sound system (I have been told). The 400 seat theater was filled to capacity, with people still filing in half an hour after the film had started.
The film itself is beautifully shot, with lush, gorgeous scenes of both rural and urban Thailand. As the Tribeca Film Festival website states, "This pensive, artfully crafted drama explores the twisted symbiosis between two American brothers-one domineering and nihilistic, the other guileless and introspective-as they binge on drink, drugs, and women in exotic Thailand." The two brothers' relationship spirals out of control to a dramatic conclusion.
The cinematography is not the only area of excellence in this movie. The acting, directing and screen writing were also top-notch. Jonno Roberts as the domineering older brother Jake transforms from lovable to despised almost effortlessly during the course of the film. And the transformation of Tate Ellington as the younger brother Oliver from a depressed man-child to a fully developed and confident man develops quite naturally.
Seth Grossman is an amazing screenwriter who really shows his chops in this movie, his debut film. Loosely based on a novel he wrote while living in Thailand teaching English, the inspiration for this movie was fully developed prior to the beginning of the screen writing process. This may have made the writing process develop quicker, but it does not take anything away from the freshness of the final product.
There are many opportunities to laugh during the first act of the film, which helps to quickly drawing the viewer in to the more dramatic second and third acts. It was easy to identify with the characters, who grow to feel like family by the end of the film. I recommend this film to anyone who has ever traveled to a faraway land or just dreams of such travels.
The film itself is beautifully shot, with lush, gorgeous scenes of both rural and urban Thailand. As the Tribeca Film Festival website states, "This pensive, artfully crafted drama explores the twisted symbiosis between two American brothers-one domineering and nihilistic, the other guileless and introspective-as they binge on drink, drugs, and women in exotic Thailand." The two brothers' relationship spirals out of control to a dramatic conclusion.
The cinematography is not the only area of excellence in this movie. The acting, directing and screen writing were also top-notch. Jonno Roberts as the domineering older brother Jake transforms from lovable to despised almost effortlessly during the course of the film. And the transformation of Tate Ellington as the younger brother Oliver from a depressed man-child to a fully developed and confident man develops quite naturally.
Seth Grossman is an amazing screenwriter who really shows his chops in this movie, his debut film. Loosely based on a novel he wrote while living in Thailand teaching English, the inspiration for this movie was fully developed prior to the beginning of the screen writing process. This may have made the writing process develop quicker, but it does not take anything away from the freshness of the final product.
There are many opportunities to laugh during the first act of the film, which helps to quickly drawing the viewer in to the more dramatic second and third acts. It was easy to identify with the characters, who grow to feel like family by the end of the film. I recommend this film to anyone who has ever traveled to a faraway land or just dreams of such travels.