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Movies / On DVD / The Elephant King
The Elephant King

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The Elephant King (2008)

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Reviews Counted:10

Fresh:2

Rotten:8

Average Rating:4.1/10

Runtime: 90 mins

Genre: Dramas

Synopsis: Oscar winner Ellen Burstyn (REQUIEM FOR A DREAM) stars in this drama that pits a pair of brothers against each other. The older brother, Jake (Jonno Roberts), lives in Thailand, continents away... Oscar winner Ellen Burstyn (REQUIEM FOR A DREAM) stars in this drama that pits a pair of brothers against each other. The older brother, Jake (Jonno Roberts), lives in Thailand, continents away from the legal trouble he created in America. His mother (Burstyn) sends her other son, Oliver (Tate Ellington), after him when charges are brought against Jake. Oliver finds Thailand as enticing as his older brother did before him. But the beauty he finds in the Asian country isn't limited to its scenery: Oliver begins a romance with Lek (Florence Faivre), which makes him reluctant to leave even as Jake's true nature is exposed. [More]

Starring: Ellen Burstyn, Tate Ellington, Jonno Roberts, Florence Faivre

Starring: Ellen Burstyn, Tate Ellington, Jonno Roberts, Florence Faivre, Josef Sommer, Debra Azar

Director: Seth Grossman

Director: Seth Grossman
Screenwriter: Seth Grossman
Producer: Emanuel Michael, Tamar Sela, Tom Waller
Composer: Adam Balazs
Studio: Unison Releasing

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Reviews for The Elephant King

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1 - 10 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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Seth Grossman's second feature as a director is beautiful to look at, solidly acted, unpredictable and sexy as hell.

Full Review Source: OC Weekly | comment Comment
12/30/08
Luke Y. Thompson
Luke Y. Thompson
OC Weekly

erhaps a bit of star power, or at least less generic actors in the leads, might have given these underdeveloped siblings more credence or appeal.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
10/24/08
Gary Goldstein
Gary Goldstein
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Director-writer Seth Grossman provides a lazy narrative, with stereotypical characters and plot. You just know what's going to happen, although the statuesque Faivre might take your mind off the shortcomings.

Full Review Source: New York Post | comment Comment
10/17/08
V.A. Musetto
V.A. Musetto
New York Post

Had writer/director Seth Grossman's The Elephant King not been shot on location in the seedy bars and brothels of Thailand, it would be stripped of its most intriguing component.

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
10/17/08
Mark Keizer
Mark Keizer
Boxoffice Magazine

There is in fact an elephant in The Elephant King, but his keepers are far from royal.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
10/17/08
Nathan Lee
Nathan Lee
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A depressing and bleak drama about two brothers in Thailand.

Full Review Source: Spirituality and Practice | comment Comment
10/17/08
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Spirituality and Practice

An indie dud that mistakes lurid sensationalism for cultural exploration.

Full Review Source: Metromix.com | comment Comment
10/16/08
Geoff Berkshire
Geoff Berkshire
Metromix.com

If Grossman had found something more to say about life in Thailand other than that almost any attractive woman there can be had for money, The Elephant King might have more potency.

Full Review Source: New York Press | comment Comment
10/15/08
Mark Peikert
Mark Peikert
New York Press

Naïveté drives the characters and the filmmaking -- a lethal combination for a movie that’s desperate to come across as world-weary and wise.

Full Review Source: Time Out New York | comment Comment
10/15/08
Stephen Garrett
Stephen Garrett
Time Out New York

Equivalent to a crummy band with a monster of a drummer who convinces you to stay for the whole show anyways.

Full Review Source: Village Voice | comment Comment
10/15/08
Nick Pinkerton
Nick Pinkerton
Village Voice
 
 
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