‘Elyse’ Is an Admirable Debut Even if It Fails Miserably…

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Sir Anthony Hopkins is a legend. The majesty of his onscreen presence is undeniable. With his voice and deep eyes, he automatically commands intellectual respect; unsurprisingly, he hasn’t been, or at least not to my recollection, cast as a dimwit.

Despite his erudite appearance, he doesn’t possess any hubris. On all accounts, he’s surprisingly humble, he even seems to live outside the snobbery of the Hollywood elite. On Twitter, you can be a witness to his wacky sense of humor, making funny voices, and playing with his cat. In interviews, he often reminisces about his anti-social past, how badly he performed in school. He never thought he would reach such thespian heights. Movingly, he also stated in interviews that he has an old childhood picture in his phone and occasionally he would look at this confused little boy and tell him, “we did okay kid, we did okay!”

Growing up watching his movies, seeing him age like fine wine, he’s become a sentimental icon to me. I’m happy to see he’s still going strong, even reaching his eighties, working nonstop, and still, receiving countless accolades. His starring role in the upcoming, The Father, will likely impress many critics.

Besides his acting, he’s also proven himself to be a proficient painter and musician. And it’s apparent from interviews and documented clips, whether it’s for acting, painting, or music, that he has a genuine fondness and respect for art.

I hadn’t heard much about Elyse before its release, only that his wife, Stella Hopkins, directed the film. Looking at the credits, however, I think it’s safe to assume Elyse was a passion project for both of them. The couple shares multiple credits for the film. Stella both directs her husband and has helmed the story along with Audrey Arkins, while Anthony not only co-stars but also composed its soundtrack. Whatever the genesis of this project, since Stella is the film’s director and had conjured up the story (although story credits are often more complicated than meets the eye), just to be fair, we should assume her to be the author of the film’s virtues or flaws.

And unfortunately, this feature-film debut, even with its noble intentions and some stellar photography, is rough from beginning to end.

Only Half of the Story…

Elyse (Lisa Pepper), a rich housewife, likes to wander aimlessly by herself throughout the day, musing about her existence. Her husband, Steven (Aaron Tucker), is a workaholic lawyer and has no idea what she is up to. When she returns home, her mood swings from loving, to depressive, to sometimes even aggressively paranoid. She seems especially annoyed with the presence of Carmen (Tara Arroyave), the temp to her husband and daughter to her nanny, Julia (Julieta Ortiz), and even suspects Carmen of having an affair with her husband. Steven has no idea how to handle her constantly switching temperament, and suggests, via recommendation from a colleague, for her to see a psychiatrist, Dr. Philip Lewis (Anthony Hopkins).

But what exactly is going on with Elyse? What is really afflicting her? Why doesn’t her husband want to spend time with her? Has there been a history of mental illness?

Things become clearer during a particularly awkward dinner scene, in which Elyse gets embarrassingly drunk and has a mental breakdown. From then on, the story takes a drastic turn…

“Oh Boy, This is Going to Be Rough…”

“People would rather live in homes regardless of its grayness”… I knew I was in trouble when this was Elyse‘s opening line. The delivery is so painfully earnest, so full of itself with its assumed profundity, I had to roll my eyes.

But I wanted to give the film the benefit of the doubt, even though I already had a bad feeling. When there was finally a scene of awkward dialogue between characters, my fears were confirmed: “Oh boy, this is going to be rough…”

Similar to Anthony Hopkins’ directorial debut, Slipstream, Elyse dives into the troubled mind of its protagonist, though explaining the extend of Elyse’s internal issues would mean giving away a huge spoiler. But while Slipstream was more experimental and easy-going, a surreal exploration of the creative process as well as a satire on the Hollywood industry, Elyse is a completely solemn affair.