The Man From Elysian Fields (DVD)

...couldn't wait to play on the film. I had no idea that Mick Jagger can actually act. Yes I saw him once in the movie about nazi killing gay people in the death camps, during the Second World War. He had not so big role, with Clive Owen playing along the big part among the rest.


Elysian Fields is an elite male escort service, lead by the conveniently called Luther Fox (Mick Jagger). Fancy "sympathy for the devil", ...
...Well not the "devil", I mean Luther… yes Jagger. Who ever brought Jagger playing this character must be very clever or simply devoted fan of Rollin' Stones. Perfect perfect I tell you. Luther makes an offer to this writer Byron Tiller (Andy Garcia), who's struggling with finances. Byron, not so lordly this time, all desperate, accepts the job under the promise that sex doesn't have to be included. He becomes a male prostitute, of ... more

There I was, arguing with my dealer what movie to buy. At first, I saw Andy Garcia's name, deciding to take it for my sister. She really likes Garcia. But than again, in all that evening obscurity, with all my pleasure my eyes caught Jagger's name just as well. I couldn't wait to play on the film. I had no idea that Mick Jagger can actually act. Yes I saw him once in the movie about nazi killing gay people in the death camps, during the Second World War. He had not so big role, with Clive Owen playing along the big part among the rest.

Elysian Fields is an elite male escort service, lead by the conveniently called Luther Fox (Mick Jagger). Fancy "sympathy for the devil", anyone? Au yes, you cannot avoid loving him. The Jagger? Well not the "devil", I mean Luther… yes Jagger. Who ever brought Jagger playing this character must be very clever or simply devoted fan of Rollin' Stones. Perfect perfect I tell you. Luther makes an offer to this writer Byron Tiller (Andy Garcia), who's struggling with finances. Byron, not so lordly this time, all desperate, accepts the job under the promise that sex doesn't have to be included. He becomes a male prostitute, of course - lured into the business by a high-class pimp (Mick Jagger) who thinks he would be a perfect for the lonely rich lady clientele. Good old lie. In order to provide support for his family Byron becomes "a whore". His permanent client is young wife of the very famous writer. Of course, sleeping included all along, Byron gets to be used by very rich writer and his young wife in the literal way just as well, to end up with "modest" money made for the sex service, not for the writing service. Triangle starts great, ending up with a heart attack and Byron devastated and crashed, to learn the simple truth: He is just an other whore* for rich and famous. Illness has made Tobias [rich writer] impotent, without his ability to write. He can't finish what will be his last novel -about ancient Rome. He asks Byron to help him out. A trap for poor young* Byron. Collaboration ends in clash with Byron loosing the game.

This is one simple and funny film directed by George Hickenlooper. It takes place in Pasadena, "a city with old ladies...where people still read." Perhaps there are serious movie buffs that were appreciating this heart-full but small and intelligent script. Even the names are very convenient, carrying the symbolic of simple souls and cruel world out there. Just think: noble Byron, as Lord Byron, Luther Fox as foxy devil: Byron writes about Hitler’s “existing” son and Tobias writes about ancient Rome-it all symbolizing one glorify tale about measure of power. Because the wonderful and balanced cast makes this film an underwhelming and never dying morality tale. Who's The Man from Elysian Fields? Mick-just-like-a rolling-stone-Jagger. Perfect! Andy Garcia plays an aspiring author who gambles his life, to write a first novel that fails. A novel about possibility of Hitler's child survival. "Hitler's Child," about the supposed son of Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun, becomes hit with the critics, but went on disaster in the bookstores. Nothing new for this commercial world. Seen so many times, a quality with no finances attached. It is however, clear that the scriptwriter lives in reality describing reality in nowadays publishing, with the simple scene in the bookshop: Byron is browsing through a local bookshop-encouraging woman to buy his book. She's uninterested until she sees his photo on the book, insisting Byron signing it. Once he leaves the store the woman tosses the book back. There goes the life of a writer...Once when he meets mysterious Luther Fox (played by Mick Jagger and all that unique flair), British gentleman who has office in the same building as he had. All Fox has to do is mews about how he read "Hitler's Child" and how much he likes Byron's writing. Very foxy. Film never becomes preachy or judgmental, which gives the reality flair, almost like it is author's biography. "The Man From Elysian Fields" is smart and sophisticated piece of work. On many ways, it is a moral tale of someone's reality; not the fiction based morality story. Unique by its simplicity, very memorable.

With the glory and the misery of the oldest trade in the world* Byron finds all doors to get to be open for him, with the price to pay of course, by selling his soul to the devil itself. Devil called Luther Fox. However, film was meant to be small, therefor I'm not surprised to see how this film gone by without big commercial fame, which is probably the reason why rest of the world ignored it entire 2002. This movie is really fun to watch, thanks to a good cast. Garcia is always immensely good looking and sympathetic, Jagger brings to his "symphony for the devil" usual elegance. All others are not relevant, simple as that. As the man of the world, Jagger is very credible, to find that - not only music makes this man, [among all others from his generation] exciting performer. I must admit that George Hickenlooper's "The Man From Elysian Fields" is warm and seductive as well as funny in all that simplicity. Perfect role for someone who had it all in life, someone as Jagger. Well done Mick! Not only that! Andy Garcia has here, I reckon, one of the best role of his career. He inhabits the part entirely, as he has never done before. Every character here is sharp: Garcia, a handsome, melancholic gigolo, Angelica Houston as the client of the escort agency, others and Jagger. an elegant and insinuating, devil incarnate. They all make "The Man From Elysian Fields" a terrifying, terrific and engagingly provocative movie. Not for children or teenagers of course, even if it has almost non-erotic or violence scenes. This is a perfect Sunday afternoon drama for adults. Avariable on DVDs I assume.
 

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