MovieMaker The Art and Business of Making Movies » Login | Register  

November 19, 2008

ABOUT | CONTACT | NEWSLETTER | Search

directing

Email
Print

Isabel Coixet’s Cinematic Poem

Known for her strong female leads, Coixet takes on Philip Roth and misogyny with Elegy


“I think it’s an illness,” director Isabel Coixet says of moviemaking. “It’s a virus you get somehow when you’re a kid and it’s always with you… There is a very specific word for that, a very scientific word called algolagnia. It’s not masochism—it’s exactly the mixture between pleasure and pain. That’s why I say it’s a virus, because there’s no way you can get rid of it—no matter what.”

Coixet, 48, caught the bug early. “I began to go to the cinematheque when I was really young,” she remembers of her upbringing in Barcelona. “It was my refuge. I was happy there.” Watching films by classic auteurs was the genesis of Coixet’s own passion for film: “I remember watching Bergman films, especially The Seventh Seal. I saw that when I was 12 and I didn’t understand a word. But I remember that film really impressed me, because I realized movies can be something else.”

It wasn’t until Coixet landed a job as a copywriter at an ad agency that her career as a moviemaker began in earnest, when she used film stolen from the agency’s production company to make her first short film, Mira y verás, in 1984. Coixet has spent the last 24 years making small, powerful films full of complex characters, most notably My Life Without Me (2003) and The Secret Life of Words (2005), the latter of which won four Goya Awards.

With Elegy, Coixet takes on the formidable task of reinterpreting Philip Roth’s novel, The Dying Animal, for the screen.

It would be difficult to find a more surprising pairing than these two artists. Roth is known for his sprawling meditations on the male psyche, while Coixet is recognized for films that focus on the struggles of complex female protagonists. But with Elegy, Coixet has used this incongruity to her advantage. “It’s a story by one of the most misogynistic writers of his generation [as] seen by a Spanish woman,” she says, laughing, “I really admire Philip Roth and I really respect what he does, but I have my own point of view about his plot and his characters and it’s there, it’s in the film.”

Elegy charts the turbulent relationship between David Kepesh (Ben Kingsley), an aging, hedonistic professor, and his student, Consuela (Penélope Cruz). Even in his mid-sixties, Kepesh is assured of his ability to attract women, but is unnerved by his unexpected attachment to his young pupil.

1 of 2


SHARE THIS STORY

Del.icio.us this itemDel.icio.us

Reddit this itemReddit

Yahoo this item Yahoo

TAGS

COMMENTS | POST A COMMENT

Comment by armess on 9/09/08 at 10:21 am

Thanks for the suggestion
kurtlar vadisi pusu 26. bölüm izle
Sarkozy in Moscow

Comment by danny on 10/30/08 at 1:52 pm

Hey, I saw “The Secret Life of Words”. This movie was great. And Isabel Coixet a talented moviemaker…

Comment by Tony the biker on 10/31/08 at 4:30 am

I guess it can be a pain to work with some people while making movies, but there’s no way that movie making itself could be a pain if you love doing it. It’s hard, no question about it, which is why achievements are so pleasing in the end.
I’ll be looking forward for her next movie now. Nice article!

Comment by vilneap on 11/01/08 at 1:27 pm

Nothing special about her. But maybe I am wrong. She tries hard though.

Comment by Essay on 11/02/08 at 7:43 am

Well, in all fairness this isnt the first time that this has happened is it?.

Comment by roger on 11/02/08 at 2:04 pm

Great stuff.. I always fel Philip Roth had it in him to be amongst the best best term life insurance quote

Comment by Experience Days on 11/09/08 at 7:06 am

Great stuff.. I hope she keeps this up in her upcoming projects.

POST A COMMENT

OUR PRIVACY POLICY | We will not publish or sell or share your email address or other personal information. Read more.

Name:  
Email:  
URL:  

Type the word you see below:

Comment:

MovieMaker Magazine

Magazine cover: Summer 2008This story was published in the Summer 2008 MovieMaker Magazine. The headline was:

Battle of the Sexes

View this issue

Order this issue | Subscribe to MM

 

Blog/Forum/Poll navigation

Blog Forums Polls

Latest from the blog:

Gotham Independent Film Awards Series Comes to NYC

IFP, the nation's oldest and largest organization of independent moviemakers, presents the Gotham Independent Film Award Series. The three-week program of screenings and panel discussions will highlight the work of nominees and honorees from the 18th Annual Gotham Independent Awards, which take place on December 2.

Posted 11.19.08 | News/Commentary | No comments yet...

Other recent posts:

Posts people are talking about:

Blog

SITE DELIVERY OPTIONS

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

  1. Boy A Star Andrew Garfield Isn't Afraid to Be Picky
    Andrew Garfield’s brief but impressive filmography thus far is no accident; the young actor is nothing if not selective. “I know I’d be really miserable if I was working on something that I didn’t believe in,” ... read on
  2. Is Horror Dead?
    Freddy, Jason and Leatherface have packed it up—and horror legends like George Romero are having a tough time at the box office. What does the future hold for the horror ... read on
  3. Isabel Coixet’s Cinematic Poem
    A director best known for her strong female leads wouldn't be the first choice to adapt a novel from one of today's most misogynistic novelists. But Elegy, Isabel Coixet's adaptation of Philip Roth's The Dying Animal, ... read on
  4. Ben Stiller's Days of Thunder
    Best-known as one of Hollywood's most bankable funnymen, Ben Stiller has always been more interested in what's going on behind the camera. His upcoming slate of films, including Tropic Thunder, which he produced, ... read on
  5. Rainn Wilson’s Big Break
    It’s hit or miss when cast members from NBC’s “The Office” land themselves a lead role in a big-screen comedy. Steve Carell’s turn as The 40-Year-Old Virgin propelled his already growing popularity while John ... read on
  6. Paul W.S. Anderson’s Rules Can Be Deadly
    British action master Paul W.S. Anderson reveals his Golden Rules for Moviemaking just as his latest film, Death Race, hits ... read on
  7. Towelhead: Alan Ball's Controversial New Film
    In 1999, a plastic ball floated in the wind—the most beautiful thing ever seen by the strange boy next door—and with that, Alan Ball won an Academy Award for his very first screenplay, American Beauty. Nine years ... read on
  8. Jon Avnet Aims for a Righteous Kill
    His filmography defies easy categorization because Jon Avnet says he's only interested in one thing: Great acting. He's proving it this summer, as he teams up with Al Pacino and Robert De Niro for Righteous ... read on
  9. William Fraker Dances with the Devil
    Cinematographer William Fraker and director Roman Polanski created a monster when they made Rosemary's Baby 40 years ago. Today, the six-time Oscar nominee says there are still lessons to be learned from the movie. ... read on
  10. Eight Great Fests
    From scream queens and student films to music videos and John Leguizamo, the highlights from some of this year's most innovative festivals around the country prove that small fests pack some of the biggest punches. ... read on
  11. Politics As Usual—At Least in Hollywood
    As eye the home stretch of the 2008 presidential race and brace for the endless "I approved this message" tags, it may seem cruel and unusual punishment to consider a raft of political films. But these 15 standouts ... read on

RELATED ARTICLES FROM THE ARCHIVES

  1. 11/4/2008: Politics As Usual—At Least in Hollywood
  2. 10/27/2008: Tobe Hooper’s Cult Classics
  3. 10/23/2008: Make-Up Makes the Monster
  4. 10/22/2008: James Whale Creates Frankenstein’s Monster
  5. 10/7/2008: William Fraker Dances with the Devil