The Man from Elysian Fields (2001)

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Too much of everything

An Exercise In Nonsense

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

The Whore! The Whore! The Whore! Ever wondered why men become gigolos, or why women become prostitutes? If so, then this movie is for you! And speaking of prostitutes and gigolos, Mick Jagger shows up and looks rather dandy for a hideously ugly man.Other than the plot and fact that this movie was made, the worse part of this movie is the abuse of neo-noir lighting/color, voice-over narrative, and jazzy muzak. It's embarrassing, because in most film noir, a woman outsmarts/outsexes an idiot man and then she pays for it in the end. Some of this film noir formula is there, but it's so utterly undermined by the film's moronic premise and overall crappiness that I could not help but rage against my television.In fact, I looked over to my girlfriend 25 minutes into the movie (we hadn't said a word since it started) and said, "This sucks, huh?" "It's getting that way," she replied. The only pleasure I could take was predicting the train wreck before it happened. And when it did happen, I was sad to witness Andy Garcia's last attempt at acting.

I generally liked this film. Andy Garcia plays a convincing role as an unwilling male escort. Mick Jagger and James Coburn both gave excellent performances too and so did the women in the cast.Andy Garcia's Byron Tiller insisted on being a writer from beginning to end and was always uncomfortable in being viewed as a lover.However, I found a small flaw in a side plot of the story : it was rather unrealistic that Mick Jagger's character, having been in the male escort business for such a long time, could be a romantic fool in allowing himself to not only actually fall in love with a client but to believe earnestly that his love will be requited. I thought he should know better.

The Man From Elysian Fields starts out very promisingly, with snappy, literate dialogue and interesting characters, but by the end it sadly deteriorates into a 3rd rate soap opera, and an unbelievable one at that. Mick Jagger, whose character narrates, is perfect in his role as the seducer/defiler (a man of definite wealth and taste), and everyone else is capable enough; it just doesn't really work, unfortunately.

I am not really sure if I liked this movie or not. It started out okay but then somewhere it turned. Instead of trying to show what this man was doing to help his family it became sort of a morality tale but they wanted you to feel sorry for author. Why? He did it to himself I you will be able to tell. Yes bad things happened to him but he did it all to himself. The movie as a whole kept my interest and had some pretty good acting. I would watch this again but only under certain circumstances. This film is not a must see but is an okay watch.