SYNOPSICS
Elephant Shoes (2005) is a English,French,Greek,Italian movie. Christos Sourligas has directed this movie. Stacie Morgain Lewis,Greg Shamie are the starring of this movie. It was released in 2005. Elephant Shoes (2005) is considered one of the best Romance movie in India and around the world.
The approximate twelve hours in the lives of Montreal-based artist Manny Stephanopoulos and Toronto-based photographer Alex Smith following their initial meeting is presented. That meeting takes place on the sidewalk just down the street from Manny's apartment as Alex asks him for directions to her hotel, she visiting Montreal for the first time and thus unfamiliar with the city. Based on that chance encounter, Manny asks Alex up to his apartment for a drink, she cautiously accepting. Thus initiates the process of them possibly getting to know each other, in all that entails. At each stage along the process, there may be high times, and low times, with a question being whether the high times are high enough to overcome or sustain the low times, especially in the early stages when they hardly know each other. Through that process, Manny is more open in his attraction to her, with she having the power to leave and/or return anytime she wants as she knows where he lives, he not knowing ...
Elephant Shoes (2005) Reviews
Great and recommended
I saw this movie a few hours ago and I wasn't expecting much from it actually I thought that i would be turning this movie off after 30 minutes but my review is...... Manny (Greg Shamie) meets Alex (Stacie Morgain Lewis) on the street near his apartment in Montreal. After giving her directions to the hotel where she has a reservation, he ends up, almost on a lark, inviting her out to dinner. Well, I'm here to report that, after agreeing "no sex" and later "no falling in love" they end up never going out to eat, instead staying in Manny's apartment where they spend the evening talking and gleefully violating the two rules. Every section of the movie has a cute little title, typical of these is "2. Awkwardness." Once in his kitchen to share a glass of white wine, they get giggly. "I get a nervous twitch," he says to her, "when I get to first base." Laughing, she quickly corrects him, "Don't kid yourself. You're still at bat." Their first kisses are interrupted with nervous laughter. Manny would make Babe Ruth proud. He hits a home run in record time. The sex between them, while not the least bit graphic, is quite passionate, hot and very believable. These are two actors with great chemistry who kiss convincingly, a simple act that movies can't do credibly, and who show real desire for each other. After the sex scene is a stage labeled "3. Denial," but it could have been titled "Buyer's Remorse?" as they each try to figure out if they really did the right thing. She circles the room, avoiding eye contact with him, while he busies himself by throwing a ball as hard as he can into his baseball glove. Their fling, romance, newly found friendship or whatever it is goes through many more stages that night. Thanks to a smartly written script, all of the stages are cute. When ELEPHANT SHOES ends, you'll feel like you're bidding adieu to a pair of friends with whom you haven't been able to spend nearly as much time as you would have liked.
Hilarious and at times Heartwrenching Comedy about almost falling in love
Full disclosure up front: the writer/director of this film is a friend of mine. But he's also one of the more genuine guys I've met in the business (and in the Canadian film industry that's saying a lot), so if the movie sucked he would expect me to rip it and indeed I would. Thankfully it doesn't. It's not a great movie, but it is very good and I'm quite happy to recommend it. The story is simple. Montreal man meets Toronto woman in the streets of Montreal and invites her up to his apartment. Of course, you might think something diabolical would happen next, but thank god for Canada—they hit it off, have sex and start to fall in love. With online dating and online sex now becoming the norm this is a refreshing and almost retro premise, but it's completely believable. From the first moment to the last, Greg Shamie, who plays the man, animates every scene of the movie. He never strikes a dishonest moment and his comic timing is near perfect. We root for him as he desperately tries, and almost succeeds, in making the woman fall in love with him. Stacie Morgain Lewis is good as the woman, but it's hard to compete with such a dominating presence as Shamie. The scenes play out in long takes, with a lot of improvisation (I presume) and, unlike a lot of first films, the screenplay here is not a trap created by a mediocre screenwriter's stumblings to find his craft, but instead it's a launching pad for some beautiful and touching scenes between this man and woman. Spontaneous singing of songs from Grease and acting out scenes from A Streetcar Named Desire are my favorites. The woman popping zits on the man's back is hilarious, especially after he has told her he hates that. The ending of the movie does come a bit early. At 80 minutes you are left wanting another act. Perhaps this is budget related because I know that an indy film that is 80 minutes can almost kill you, but a 100+ minute movie one can definitely put you in the grave. The epileptic seizure of the man hints at something a little deeper and perhaps darker but we never go there. The whitebred woman from Toronto has some issues but we don't really go there either. Nevertheless, the ending is heart-wrenching and oh so real. With a very simple, "you're not the one" the relationship is over. A few minutes later she leaves and doesn't look back. It ain't Hollywood, but it is a dead on depiction of the reality of relationships today. They seem so perfect for each other that this really does come as a shocker, but I think it's indicative of a culture always looking for something more. Other issues I had with the movie are the chapter breaks that are intercut into the segments. They repeatedly show the couple cuddling on the couch, but this disrupts the subtle dynamic of the relationship that is built up through the movie, and it annoyingly hints at what is coming. For example, in the "Crossroads" chapter we know there is going to be a problem and it would be better just to experience it without a forewarning. The music is subtle and well placed, so the final song over the ending seems a bit much. And the fact that the man's profession is painting with his penis although feasible (if not a bit painful) seems somehow out of place in this movie. All this aside though, this is a very good movie. It's so utterly refreshing to see a Canadian movie that I can relate to and that has something to do with my own life. These are people that I've known and scenes I've lived and that is rare in the largely elitist-Telefilm-oriented-Atom Egoyan worshipping Canadian movie culture where one is often left wondeirng if most Canadian directors have had a girlfriend or a job or any semblance of a life. Not Sorligas. You know these scenes come from a very personal and heartfelt place. More importantly though, this movie almost makes one want to fall in love again, or failing that, it at least convinces one that it is worth a try. Because even though the woman doesn't reciprocate his love at the end, it's been such a fun journey it reminds us that life is not just Hollywood happy endings and the cuddly gooey lovey dovey stuff, it's also the jolting pain of a love unreturned. The man seems heartbroken at the end, but Shamie as the man, is so engaging and has so much fun, we suspect he will meet another woman who is even more perfect for him and fall truly, madly, deply in love with her.
Surprisingly touching
When i first turned on Elephant Shoes, i wasn't expecting to enjoy it, but I had some time to kill and nothing else of any interest was on, so i figured I'd watch a bit to kill some time. This film is clearly low budget but has a truth many high budget films can never seem to find. the 2 actors have unbelievable chemistry and when they kiss it's fireworks every time. It is amazing to see how honestly the characters are portrayed, sometimes making you want to blush right along with them in the embarrassing moments. I am so glad i watched Elephant Shoes, but i only recommend it to people with patience because some parts people may find to drag on unnecessarily, but in the end, it's all worth it.
Very nice surprise
I am commenting only because of having read the negative reviews here. I watched this movie a few hours ago without any expectations. In fact, only 5 or 10 minutes into it, I didn't expect to watch it until the end. I am SO glad I hung in there because it was definitely worth it. I've had a relationship very much like the one between Manny and Alex. The first few days after we met were so much like what happened. (Minus the painting ;)) The relationship was an on and off one over the next 2 years. Primarily because of the distance between us. I wasn't able to fully commit to it and although its been years since the relationship ended, this movie helped me see what happened. Sometimes you can meet someone where everything IS like a checklist of what you want in and with someone, but it isn't necessarily enough. Although it can be heart wrenching for both people, unfortunately that is just the way life and relationships are. I appreciated this movie, not so much because of my own personal experience, but because it IS like real life. More so than most movies that are made. Not just for the story line, but also the dialogue and the characters acting was more REAL than the majority of movies I've seen. I'm definitely not an indie-movie type person and in spite of being Canada, Canadian flicks usually bore me to pieces... but I think this one is definitely worth a watch.
Every bit as good
I watched this movie in a plane a few years ago, and just rented it again recently. Are you kidding me? This thing was made for like, zero money and by some indie dude from Montreal? This film looks amazing. It's well written. The music is really hip. Oh, and the chick is really hot. But whatever - I'm just writing to say that this movie is totally a kick ass rental. And I don't even like chick flicks usually. I'm not saying that it's like, some great piece of timeless art or anything, like Star Wars (the original ones, not the new crap episodes) or LOTR, but it's definitely entertaining and deserves to be seen. I still can't believe that's it's not a bigger budget Hollywood flick. Hollywood needs to watch out, because directors like this are sneaking in and gonna snatch up some of the market. BOOYAH