'Elegy'
Prof. David Kepesh (Ben Kingsley), an aging lothario, wins over his latest acquisition, Consuela Castillo (Penelope Cruz), by comparing her eyes to a Goya painting. Do we really need another movie about a May-December romance? In this case, the answer is absolutely. Letting such a richly textured and compelling film slip by in the summer rush would be a loss. It's in the same league as "The Lover" and "Last Tango in Paris" in conveying passion that approximates the real deal. (Rated R.)
- Ruthe Stein, San Francisco Chronicle
'Frozen River'
The impressive first feature by writer/director Courtney Hunt boasts considerable tension and a compelling emotional journey. Set in wintry upstate New York, the film finds a tone of no-nonsense naturalism and never loses it. Melissa Leo is impressively strong as Ray Eddy, an impoverished single mother facing the worst week of her life. But what seems to be a maudlin tale of kitchen-sink gloom gradually takes the shape of a thriller. (Rated R.)
- Colin Covert
