The Man from Elysian Fields (2001)

An excellent movie scripted by Phillip Jayson Lasker with a very good performance from Mick Jagger. The film stars Jagger and Andy Garcia, with James Coburn, Anjelica Huston, Olivia Williams, and Julianna Margulies. Michael Des Barres deserves special mention for his performance as Nigel.Garcia plays a would-be author with the interesting name of Byron Tiller. Tiller has had a book published to some good reviews, but it's in the remainder bin: a $25 novel for only $3.99. With no sales, he's off the list for his publisher. We see him with a wife who loves him unconditionally and a son who's a toddler that they both dote on. Unable to get an advance from his publisher, a job, a loan, or any income at all, Tiller is approached by the owner of an agency called Elysian Fields, a dissolute man with his life written all over his face and named Luther Fox.I was very surprised that Jagger acquitted himself so well; he channeled Noel Coward beautifully without overdoing it. His acting was subtle and understated -- he inhabited the role of Luther Fox with no hint of Mick showing through. Fox corrupts Tiller with charm and savoir faire. Elysian Fields is an escort service for women. Fox reads Tiller like the book he is and sets Tiller up with the young wife of an aged Pulitzer Prize winning novelist. And then the twists begin. The aged novelist, Alcott, has lost it. He's written a novel, but it's not good. As Tiller begins an affair with Andrea Alcott, Alcott begins a literary partnership with Tiller. With the promise of co-authorship, Tiller works with Alcott to rewrite Alcott's novel while Tiller continues his affair with Mrs. Alcott -- with Alcott's beaming approval. The real seduction is not Tiller's seduction by Andrea, the real seduction is the promise of fame, with the obvious wealth on display at the Alcott mansion. Tiller's real prostitution is to the husband, not the wife, because that's where he pours his soul.Tiller's wife notices. She's aware only that he is working as co-author with Alcott, and she sees Tiller draining himself, leaving less for their son and for her. Meanwhile, we have interspersed scenes between Fox and his first client, played by Huston. Occasionally Fox and Tiller meet and share a drink and some conversation. These scenes cap what's going on in the movie. Lasker has a script in which all the characters are fully formed, and they bring an entire life along with them.Although the movie has a Hollywood ending, there are some depths plumbed by the characters which have a reality all too often missing in Hollywood movies. I wonder where Lasker has been during his life. There's a great deal of loss in this film.For lighter fare with a similar theme, I recommend "The Seduction of Joe Tynan,"" written by Alan Alda, who plays the lead character; also starring are Barbara Harris as Mrs. Tynan, Meryl Streep as the interloper, Rip Torn, Melvyn Douglas, and others you'll recognize now who were unknown then.

How does Hollywood love the Mephisto story? Let's count the many ways. It has been done and redone and it has long since ceased to be shocking. Are there any new stories out there? Who wouldn't like to take the easy way out of a career that is going nowhere? Andy Garcia has his usual long, pouty face. Mick Jagger proves he is a good musician. Angelica Houston proves she can light up any story. Juliana Margulies is a good mother. James Coburn is intriguing as the dying author contriving to have a legacy, but Olivia Williams isn't beautiful enough to carry off the part of his wife and co-conspirator. Very disappointing.

With a ridiculous premise such as that in The Man from Elysian Fields, only superior writing, casting, or special effects (or a miracle) could produce a watchable film, let alone a good one. Sadly, this flop by director George Hickenlooper (whose credits include, uh, . . . well, we're still waiting for something creditable) wasn't rescued by any of these, and we are all just left to wonder why on Earth this film was made.Writer Byron Tiller (Garcia) is a deservedly down-and-out writer who somehow manages to snag a real gem for a wife. Dena Tiller (Julianna Margulies) is pretty, intelligent, long-suffering, attentive, and downright charitable in her marriage to Byron, whose only published work is a (coincidentally?) unbelievable novel entitled Hitler's Child. (I happen to agree with the bookstore patron who, after laughing hysterically at the book's premise - which even Tiller acknowledges is 'ridiculous' - and after realizing she is talking to the author politely asks that he autograph it, then promptly dumps it back in the discount bin after he leaves.)Why Byron decides to turn tricks instead of flipping burgers or going to night school to learn another profession is not clear. The fact that after sleeping with the multiple Pulitzer Prize winner Tobias Alcott's (James Coburn) young wife he is asked to co-write the aging author's next book is mind boggling for several reasons, the most obvious being that Alcott never sees any of Tiller's writing before making this generous offer. He simply endures some criticism from Tiller on his work in progress, then decides that the criticism is SO GOOD that he must have Tiller co-author the work with him. If Tiller's luck was this good for real he a) might have a successful novel of his own, or b) might not have ever met Luther Fox, the enigmatic man from Elysian Fields.Which brings us to the crux of the plot. Luther Fox (Jagger) is the aging founder and president of the Elysian Fields Escort Service, a haven for rich women with inattentive husbands. Somehow, for some inexplicable reason, Fox not only notices his across-the-hall neighbor's smoldering good looks, but also takes the time to read the aforementioned bomb-novel, Hitler's Child.' (We can only assume that the quality of this work is what makes Fox assume that Tiller would come to work for him.) Tiller's conversion is way too quick. He does some superficial soul searching before diving into the world of male prostitution. Forget for the moment that he doesn't have to do any old hags, homosexuals, or kinky kooks, and that his only client is the young, beautiful, and charming Andrea Alcott (Olivia Williams.). Also forget that he is presumably paid very well. But try as we might, we just can't forget how easily this supposedly decent guy becomes embroiled in the lifestyle of the Elysian Fields set. We are expected to swallow the surface excuse given, that Tiller is willing to sacrifice (!) so much for his beloved wife and child. What a guy! We have to wonder why, when his altruistically driven wife would gladly go to work so they could both flip burgers to make ends meet, Tiller is such easy prey for Fox. We won't ever know, of course. We just have to accept, as Tiller himself says about his own flop of a novel, 'Premises are allowed to be ridiculous.' Right. Is that George Hickenlooper's excuse for making this film?Lastly, we turn to the character of Luther Fox himself. Our patience for imagination already stretched paper thin, we now have to contend with the panderer-turned-paramour, the man from Elysian Fields. Admitting that he is over the hill and should have retired years ago, Luther stays active on the job for one client: the rich and morally bankrupt Jennifer Adler (Angelica Huston.) Fox has been in love with his client for some time, and eventually proposes marriage, said proposal being immediately and hysterically rebuffed. Why we take this side trip is unclear because Adler drops out of the picture immediately thereafter. Luther decides to get out of the business anyway, and advises Tiller to do the same. Tiller's wife has already learned of his moonlighting activities and left him , so this advice comes under the 'too little, too late' category. And we won't even get into the absurdity of Tiller's wife, Dena, hiring one of the Elysian Field escorts so she can just ask him why a man would do this sort of work - we probably wouldn't get it anyway. To try and tie up this clunker into a neat ending, the screenwriter (Phillip Jason Lasker of notable masterpieces for TV Barney Miller and The Golden Girls) has Tiller working as a waiter - and a snotty one, at that - in a fancy restaurant, which begs the question as to why he didn't go this route in the first place. Mostly this comes about because Tiller gets gypped out of his share of the profits from the co-written Alcott novel, and has to seek honest, non-prostitution work to survive. No matter - it is hinted that Dena is going to take him back anyway and the film mercifully ends there. Fox walks off into the night, and really, who cares?Want to save $3.75? Watch The Golden Girls reruns - they're way better.

'The Man from the Elysian Fields' harbors a very good shorter film inside. The story is of an unsuccessful writer trying to survive dry times by joining an escort service. As it happens, his first and almost only relation is with the attractive and young wife of a dying successful writer whom he joins in the writing of his last novel. I liked this part, which tells a lot about the parallel relation - sexual and professional - between the couple and their hired lover and ghost writer. The problem with the script is that this bright and original idea is wrapped in a much more conventional Hollywood like melodrama or romantic movie as they like to call it. The wrapping is much weaker and what is worse is the off-the-screen text read by the otherwise original character played by Mick Jagger. Acting is actually another good part of the movie, with Mick Jagger, James Coburn and Anjelica Houston giving good supporting acts. I am not a big fan of Andy Garcia, but he is better than the usual here. The two main feminine characters are acted OK, not more. Overall, an interesting movie, could have been better if the writer to writer theme was left unwrapped in melodrama. 7 out of 10 on my personal scale.