Elisa, My Life

Elisa, My Life

1977 · 125 min · ES · 6.5 (30 votes)
Dir. Carlos Saura · Starring Fernando Rey, Geraldine Chaplin, Isabel Mestres, Joaquín Hinojosa, Norman Briski, Francisco Guijar · Music Giorgio Mainiero
Drama

Elisa has not seen her father Luis for nine years, but she receives a telegram from her sister Isabel in a moment of crisis in her marriage with Antonio telling that her father is ill. Elisa decides to travel to the countryside of Madrid with Isabel and her brother-in-law Julián and their two children to visit Luis for his birthday. Elisa decides to stay with her father when her sister returns to Madrid with her family and she gets closer to Luis, understanding why he left her mother years ago. Later she tells him that Antonio cheated on her with her best friend Sophie and their relationship has ended. When Antonio unexpectedly arrives in the house, Elisa makes a decision about her life.

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A quiet, introspective drama exploring fractured family bonds and the weight of unspoken truths. It feels like sifting through old photographs, uncovering painful memories and the slow path toward understanding.

melancholicintrospectivesombernostalgicslow-burndomestic dramacharacter-drivennaturalisticfamily secretsreconciliationbetrayalself-discovery
▶ Stream on Criterion Channel
marriage crisiswritingtelegramdying fatherillnessdual rolefather daughter reunionfamily issuesself reflectionrecollectionsstabbed to deathmemoriesparallel storiesfather and daughtercheating husbandwriting deskaging manspanish countryside
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