HOT: Elegy, Kino Cinema, 45 Collins St, Melbourne 3000

I've renewed respect for Penelope Cruz ever since her scene-stealing performance in Vicky Cristina Barcelona, and of course Ben Kingsley was Ghandi - so Elegy already had the signs of a quality film.

An adaptation of a Philip Roth novel, the story mainly follows the relationship between cultural critic David Kepesh (Kingsley) and his young student Consuela Castillo (Cruz) as he is captivated by her beauty, woos her, falls in love despite his refusal to acknowledge their relationship, grows in jealousy and insecurity, and finally redeems himself. While my words are a slapdash description of the storyline, the film is tender, touching and thought-provoking. RM also tells me that if you're familiar with the writings of Philip Roth, the themes dealing with masculinity, aging and sexuality should be no surprise.