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Movie:		5.0
Picture:		8.0
Sound:		7.0
Extras:		2.0
Score:		5.0

Director(s):	Seth Grossman
Writer(s):	Seth Grossman
Starring:	Ellen Burstyn • Florence Faivre • Jonno Roberts • Josef Sommer • Tate Ellington
Genre:	Drama
Release Date:	October 20, 2009
Rated:

List Price:	DVD - $24.98
Amazon:

Completed in 2006, it took The Elephant King three years to hit DVD, after spending its first two years touring the festival rounds. It’s one of those films that seem to belong only in film festivals, playing for a curious and typically forgiving artistic crowd, where its lofty storytelling and derelict characters would be better appreciated.

The intention is noble and reasonably sound—it’s a movie showing the other side of those “finding one’s self by traveling” stories. Often, these movies are about unhappy westerners who trot off to far-end foreign lands; discovering love, friendship, life lessons and destiny. The usual backpacker bullshit. In its own overwrought way, The Elephant King does explore something closer to reality, of young men wanting to escape from their responsibilities back home and party in a third world atmosphere where they as the White American enjoy the luxury of superiority over the exploitation of peasant locals, whether or not it’s their intention to do so.

At least that’s the idea. The film has this cogent setup and this interesting commentary, but doesn’t really know where to go to mine them well. We get Jake (Jonno Roberts), a disgusting pig who receives a grant from his university to do a study on Thailand’s wildlife, but instead burns through the money on booze, Thai sticks and whores. Jake believes he’s living the life, unconcerned by the fact that his parents back home are already on their second mortgage trying to pay off his debts. This is that side of it that we rarely see portrayed: what level of selfishness the backpackers usually have to indulge in when they embark on their self-affirming trip. Jake is such a one-note slimebag that the small vulnerable moments where writer/director Seth Grossman tries to show an insecurity in his character comes off being completely superfluous.

Jake’s father (Josef Sommer) doesn’t seem to care, encouraging him to have as much fun as he can while he’s young. The mother (Ellen Burstyn, who seems to be the go-to actor for “distraught mother”) is a different story, always reminding Jake that he’s wanted in court. Jake’s solution is to never come home; so in a last ditch effort, the mother sends Jake’s brother Oliver (Tate Ellington) to wrangle Jake back in time for his trial date. After Oliver arrives in Thailand, the film stops having any more to say, repeating the same pattern for the rest of its duration, treading the same territory it originally criticizes. Taken clubbing and to brothels by Jake, the depressed and introverted Oliver learns to open up and let loose—even falling for a local girl (Florence Faivre, more stunning in beauty than memorable in performance) who takes a liking to him.

The Elephant King is handsomely photographed, maneuvering through the seedy Thai underbelly at night and the scenic countryside during the day. For the location, they’ve chosen the city of Chia Maiy, which has a mix of urban and green flavor. The locations shy away from being a travelogue (which is always tempting for American productions when they visit exotic countries) by spending most of its time in bars, nightclubs and the motel. It’s a very well put-together film, marred by the fact that it just doesn’t have a powerful enough material to justify its length. An actual elephant is involved—Jake buys a baby one for fun but refuses to take care of it—serving as a metaphor for responsibility that ends up being way more silly than it is profound.

DVD Bonus Features

The only feature on the disc is the achingly standard making-of featurette, mostly of interviews with the up-and-comers in the cast, discussing why they relate to their characters and why they were attracted to the script, yadda yadda. Ellen Burstyn gives a weird interview saying how glad she is to be involved in a movie that “reminds [her] of the kind of movies they used to make in the 70’s” and “Hollywood doesn’t make anymore,” because they’re too busy making blockbusters. Technically, she’s just describing every generic independent drama.

It’s a featurette that’s not exactly worth seeing at all. For a slightly more insightful look into the film, there’s a commentary track with the director and the lead actor Jonno Roberts.