The Man from Elysian Fields

Very little rings true in this tale of Byron Tiller (Andy Garcia), an unsuccessful novelist who tries to solve his family's financial problems by becoming a male escort in a high-toned service run by suave, snooty Luther Fox (Mick Jagger). His secret second job introduces Byron to lovely Andrea Alcott (Olivia Williams), the young wife of celebrated novelist Tobias (James Coburn), an aging lion who is tolerant of her need for the companionship he can no longer provide. Before long Tiller has become Tobias' collaborator in the rewriting of his final book as well as Andrea's lover, but in the process his marriage collapses. The Man from Elysian Fields tries to elevate its conventional gloss on the destructive effects of adultery by situating it within a tale of betrayal among the literati, but the mixture of social satire and florid melodrama doesn't jell, and the film remains a glossy soap opera. However, viewers are provided the opportunity to see the late Coburn in one of his final performances, even if his turn is more a broad curtain call than the genuinely frightening character work that earned him an Oscar for Affliction. Not a necessary purchase.[Note: DVD extras include audio commentary by director George Hickenlooper, writer Phillip Jayson Lasker, and costar Andy Garcia; cast filmographies; TV spots; and trailers. Bottom line: A small extras package for a so-so film.] (F. Swietek)