Monday, August 5, 2024

Eleni (1985)


IMDb plot summary: A mother's love for her children leads to a son's revenge for her death in this dramatic thriller that begins during the Greek civil war.
Directed by Peter Yates. Starring Kate Nelligan, John Malkovich, and Linda Hunt.

Eleni stars John Malkovich as journalist Nicolas Gage, who returns to his native country of Greece to try to find some details around his mother's death during the Greek Civil War. The film is told in a combination of current-day investigation and flashbacks revealing the things he learns about her fate. The flashbacks are by far the more interesting portion of the film, as Eleni is a slightly more engaging character to watch interact, so it's nice that the majority of the film follows her. The film seems unexpectedly low-budget for a well-known director and lead actor, but the portion of the story set in the past is engaging enough that it doesn't feel low-effort. It's a time I know very little about, historically, and it definitely raised my interest in learning more about it and how it affected people like Eleni. A decent movie with some good highlights.

How it entered my Flickchart:
Eleni < Le Voyage au Greenland
Eleni > In the Line of Fire
Eleni < The Happiest Millionaire
Eleni > The Exorcism of Emily Rose
Eleni > Scotland, PA
Eleni > Choke
Eleni < Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town
Eleni > Withnail & I
Eleni < Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Eleni < Satantango
Eleni > Jurassic World
Eleni > Diner
Final spot: #2499 out of 3932, or 36%.

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