'The Elephant King' review

An instantly forgettable trip to Thailand

By Geoff Berkshire

Posted October 16, 2008

Metromix

1.5

681369
Florence Faivre (Credit: Strand)

Oliver (Tate Ellington) travels from the U.S. to Thailand to bring his derelict brother Jake (Jonno Roberts) back home, but things get complicated when Oliver falls for lovely local Lek (Florence Faivre). Meanwhile, the brothers’ mother (Ellen Burstyn) worries from afar and their father (Joseph Sommer) encourages any wild behavior.

The verdict: An indie dud that mistakes lurid sensationalism for cultural exploration. The brothers are each granted one character trait: Oliver is spineless and Jake is obnoxious. But at least that’s more than any of the locals receive. “The Elephant King” is as unsavory as its American tourists’ behavior, made even less appealing by the sort of shoddy, underlit camerawork you’d expect to see in a “Saw” sequel. Burstyn adds a touch of class, but her character mostly exists to fret via long distance calls. Too bad she didn't stay far away from the movie. You should.