Inside the 2011 Cannes Film Festival Day 10: 21 Andrey Zvyagintsev’s Elena

Saving the best for last, it was nice to watch a world premiere for a film that had already won an award (the jury, who had seen the film before handing out the night’s prizes hit the bulls-eye with Andrei Zvyagintsev’s third feature (the award-winning 2003’s The Return and 2007’s The Banishment).  A complex character study with a slow burn desperation, Elena is one about the civilized war between classes expertly detailed by the film’s lead. If this would have been a Main Comp entry, the Best actress award race between Tilda Swinton, Elena Anaya and Kirsten Dunst would have also included, Nadezhda Markina. Here’s the premiere night presentation and standing O.