Elena
(2011)
★ 7.2 IMDb · 290 votes
Year: 2011
Runtime: 109 мин
Country: Russia
Director: Андрей Звягинцев
Cast: Надежда Маркина, Алексей Розин, Андрей Смирнов, Елена Лядова, Ярослав Жалнин, Алексей Маслодудов, Юра Борисов, Иван Мулин, Оксана Семёнова, Игорь Огурцов
Plot
After suffering a heart attack, a wealthy elderly Russian man plans to will most of his estate to his estranged daughter. However, his wife has other plans.
Elena and Vladimir are an older couple, they come from different backgrounds. Vladimir is a wealthy and cold man, Elena comes from a modest milieu and is a docile wife. They have met late in life and each one has children from previous marriages. Elena's son is unemployed, unable to support his own family and he is constantly asking Elena for money. Vladimir's daughter is a careless young woman who has a distant relationship with her father. A heart attack puts Vladimir in hospital, where he realizes that his remaining time is limited. A brief but somehow tender reunion with his daughter leads him to make an important decision: she will be the only heiress of his wealth. Back home he announces it to Elena. Her hopes to financially help her son suddenly vanish. The shy and submissive housewife then comes up with a plan to give her son and grandchildren a real chance in life.