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THE MAN FROM ELYSIAN FIELDS -- Review (in video stores now)

ELYSIAN FIELDS (i lizh'en) n. [Greek Mythology] 1. Any place or condition of perfect happiness; paradise. 2. (figurative) happy; delightful.

Byron Tiller (ANDY GARCIA) is a struggling novelist who wrote a critically acclaimed, yet financially disappointing first novel and cannot find a publisher for his second. His wife (JULIANNA MARGULIES) loves him unconditionally and believes in his talent, yet Byron's self-esteem is very low as he struggles to balance providing financially for his wife and son (named after Nathaniel Hawthorne) with the economic reality his career so far has afforded.

The film is narrated by Luther Fox (played masterfully by MICK JAGGER) who runs an escort service named "Elysian Fields"--Luther elaborates, "Elysian Fields is an escort service. We tend to the wounds of lonely women in need of emotional as well as spiritual solace." Fox provides a desperate Byron with a job opportunity he feels he cannot refuse--as Luther states, "Goals have a way of becoming less high-minded when you need the money". Luther is a seasoned pro and we sense his wisdom in some scenes, then his desperation in others. He harbors feelings for Jennifer Adler (ANJELICA HUSTON), the one client he still personally attends to. The years in the business have dirtied his soul and he's feeling like moving on with his life. MICHAEL DES BARRES plays another veteran escort and provides Byron with practical advice that comes from experience as well as a glimpse at what a lifetime as an escort can make a person.

***** SPOILERS *****

Byron takes the job, unable to tell his wife about his failure, and one of his first clients is Andrea Allcott (OLIVIA WILLIAMS), wife of Pulitzer Prize winner Tobias Allcott (JAMES COBURN in his last film role before his passing). The encounter leads to Byron helping an aging and ailing Tobias perfect his most recent novel. Meanwhile, the lure of potential fame, monetary success, and a sense of guilt pulls Byron's marriage apart. The film asks us to look at what really matters and the price we pay when we ignore what we NEED most in favor of what we WANT most. Ill-advised actions with the best of intentions generally come back to haunt us.

The film contains a great deal of truth both in terms of the human condition and on a spiritual level--to me the two worlds (the present and things eternal) overlap in reality. Love, envy, despair, compassion, and spirit have been a part of humanity from day one. They are things eternal--feelings shared by all humans throughout time. Over time our world has changed in so many ways, but the core of who and what we are is no different today than it ever has been. I sense this when I'm admiring nature and at complete peace -- finding myself wondering if this is how another person who was in this very spot may have felt when viewing the same natural work of art. There's something wonderful about realizing that we share that potential state of being with everyone who is and ever has been. Glimpses of God echo in our shared humanity.

Byron, like all good writers I suppose, utilizes his difficulties productively and publishes a book about a marriage falling apart -- a passage read by Byron at a book signing: "In a moment, she would turn, and he'd never see her again. There were things he knew he should have said . that he wanted to say. But when he looked into his wife's face all he could remember was what the old man had said: 'Be careful of women who are content to love you just as you are. It's a sure sign that they settle too easily.' His wife loved him too much to be willing to settle but he no longer had the conscience to change. He had convinced himself that everything he was doing he was doing for her. He had mastered the fatal technique of believing his own lies. Then one day his wife and child were gone. He had everything in the world a man could ever need except a reason to wake up every morning. That single split-second after you open your eyes and there's that someone to turn to who loves you, who loves you even more and holds you even tighter through your defeats than through your victories. He poured himself another scotch knowing then that he would spend the rest of his life trying to gain that split-second back."

The tone of the film is well achieved--from melancholy to romantic with periods of anger only to end in an indefinite and warm conclusion.

***** END SPOILERS *****

This film is a wonderful gem with a literary feel. The acting is very solid and the story feels wise and deeply true in its intentions. It is a rarity in today's film world where we come to understand the motives and sentiments of the supporting characters as well as the leads. What a treat to see Mick Jagger on the big screen again as he comes through superbly. Coburn's last appearance adds one more reason to see this touching film. THE MAN FROM ELYSIAN FIELDS is in video stores now. I highly recommend it!

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