Elle - directed by Paul Verhoeven
As a filmmaker Paul Verhoeven is -to use an annoying word - interesting.
His thrillers tend to lack the suspense that the genre is typically known for and his more erotic films tend to come off as more humorous than arousing.
We don't need to look much further than "Showgirls" and "Basic Instinct" for evidence for both arguments.
I like both movies for what they are but I much prefer Verhoeven when he is giving is the likes of "Robocop", "Total Recall" and to a lesser extent "The Hollow Man".
With "Elle" he is in new territory for the most part even though this is very definitely a recognisable Paul Verhoeven movie.
Michelle (Huppert) is the very successful co-owner of a videogame company.
In the very first scene hear the sounds of a struggle - plates smashing, screams and thuds.
We see Michelle on her back on the floor with a masked intruder hitting her and then raping her.
He leaves and then with amazing calm Michelle disrobes, bathes, orders takeout food and carries on with her evening which includes a visit from her grown up son.
She doesn't report the intrusion and assault and doesn't seem at all distressed.
The only thing that she does do to acknowledge the act is to have an STD blood test.
The first time she mentions the rape again is at a dinner with her ex-husband and her business partner and her boyfriend.
They ask all of the questions that one would expect about reporting the crime and so forth and seem about as surprised at her lack of emotion as I would imagine the entire audience is!
With Michelle seeking the identity of the attacker the film seems about to shift into a more standard thriller set up but any such notion is quickly dispelled.
Huppert as Michelle is very, very good.
She recently won a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a drama for the role.
Michelle is what could be unkindly referred to as a cold fish but perhaps calculating is closer to the truth.
She is having an affair with Robert - her business partners boyfriend.
When she discovers that one of her most trusted employees is responsible for a crude e-mail about her she uses his predicament to force him to drop his pants.
The demand is to further her investigation into the attackers identity rather than for a seual thrill.
There is a point where Michelle does indeed find out who the attacker is and again her behaviour is completely at odds with what a more standard script would demand of her.
It isn't a spoiler to say that she resumes a relationship of sorts with the attacker and it is with this aspect that the true point of Verhoeven's film comes out.
Michelle is a complicated woman. She is undoubtedly powerful not only in business but everywhere.
She is a mass of contradiction.
She left her husband because he hit her but she confesses to wishing that they were still together.
Her Mother is an aging botox addict with a penchant for pretty, younger men- the latest of which she intends to marry.
This meets with caustic disapproval from Michelle even though it is not hard to imagine her becoming the very same person in later life.
I tried to imagine Micelle genuinely upset - crying perhaps- and simply couldn't.
This is a woman who only ever seems out of control when she wants to be and you get the sense that she could flips the script on that scenario at will anyway.
A backstory about Michelle's past comes to light about half way into the movie which threatens to shed some light on her character but simply exists as a plot device to show us yet more astonishing strength of character.
I am surprised that there isn't more controversy about some of the content in this film.
Verhoeven went through the nineties defending himself against such things with film after film.
Maybe this one is not as big as those past films and has flow under the radar more.
Maybe the world is more forgiving of the themes and scenes explored here now.
I don't know - maybe the lead being a woman is the telling thing.
There is scope to describe this as a feminist film - certainly Michelle is easily the strongest character in it.
She is surrounded by men of varying weaknesses.... her son is functionally useless and needs support both financial and otherwise.
The scene in which his nasty, overbearing girlfriend gives birth is an eye opener!
Michelle's ex-husband, her lover and even as it turns out her attacker are very flawed men who are no match for a woman of her strength.
Regardless of any feminist intentions there is no doubt that this represents a different Verhoeven much from the one that gave us the likes of "Basic Instinct" even if there is still a recognisable style.
But there is undoubtedly a maturity to this film that was lacking in most of the others and a depth too.
Brilliant central performance aside this daring, complicated film is fitting tribute to an often underrated director every bit as much as it is to the complex character at the centre of the film itself.
RATING: 80 / 100
CONCLUSION: Surprising, compelling stuff from Verhoeven but it is Hupperts gutsy, supremely confident performance that is likely to be talked about most.
Starring: Isabelle Huppert, Laurent Lafitte, Anne Consigny, Charles Berling, Virginie Efira, Judith Magre, Christian Berkel, Jonas Bloquet, Alice Isaaz
Screenplay: David Birke
Music Score by: Anne Dudley
Cinematography: Stephane Fontaine
Edited by: Job ter Burg
Running Time: 130 minutes
Language: English
Rated: R18 - Nudity, Violence and Sexual content
Running Time: 130 minutes
Language: English
Rated: R18 - Nudity, Violence and Sexual content
His thrillers tend to lack the suspense that the genre is typically known for and his more erotic films tend to come off as more humorous than arousing.
We don't need to look much further than "Showgirls" and "Basic Instinct" for evidence for both arguments.
I like both movies for what they are but I much prefer Verhoeven when he is giving is the likes of "Robocop", "Total Recall" and to a lesser extent "The Hollow Man".
With "Elle" he is in new territory for the most part even though this is very definitely a recognisable Paul Verhoeven movie.
Michelle (Huppert) is the very successful co-owner of a videogame company.
In the very first scene hear the sounds of a struggle - plates smashing, screams and thuds.
We see Michelle on her back on the floor with a masked intruder hitting her and then raping her.
He leaves and then with amazing calm Michelle disrobes, bathes, orders takeout food and carries on with her evening which includes a visit from her grown up son.
She doesn't report the intrusion and assault and doesn't seem at all distressed.
The only thing that she does do to acknowledge the act is to have an STD blood test.
The first time she mentions the rape again is at a dinner with her ex-husband and her business partner and her boyfriend.
They ask all of the questions that one would expect about reporting the crime and so forth and seem about as surprised at her lack of emotion as I would imagine the entire audience is!
With Michelle seeking the identity of the attacker the film seems about to shift into a more standard thriller set up but any such notion is quickly dispelled.
 |
| Isabelle Huppert as Michelle |
She recently won a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a drama for the role.
Michelle is what could be unkindly referred to as a cold fish but perhaps calculating is closer to the truth.
She is having an affair with Robert - her business partners boyfriend.
When she discovers that one of her most trusted employees is responsible for a crude e-mail about her she uses his predicament to force him to drop his pants.
The demand is to further her investigation into the attackers identity rather than for a seual thrill.
There is a point where Michelle does indeed find out who the attacker is and again her behaviour is completely at odds with what a more standard script would demand of her.
It isn't a spoiler to say that she resumes a relationship of sorts with the attacker and it is with this aspect that the true point of Verhoeven's film comes out.
Michelle is a complicated woman. She is undoubtedly powerful not only in business but everywhere.
She is a mass of contradiction.
She left her husband because he hit her but she confesses to wishing that they were still together.
Her Mother is an aging botox addict with a penchant for pretty, younger men- the latest of which she intends to marry.
This meets with caustic disapproval from Michelle even though it is not hard to imagine her becoming the very same person in later life.
I tried to imagine Micelle genuinely upset - crying perhaps- and simply couldn't.
This is a woman who only ever seems out of control when she wants to be and you get the sense that she could flips the script on that scenario at will anyway.
A backstory about Michelle's past comes to light about half way into the movie which threatens to shed some light on her character but simply exists as a plot device to show us yet more astonishing strength of character.
 |
| Not to be messed with.... |
Verhoeven went through the nineties defending himself against such things with film after film.
Maybe this one is not as big as those past films and has flow under the radar more.
Maybe the world is more forgiving of the themes and scenes explored here now.
I don't know - maybe the lead being a woman is the telling thing.
There is scope to describe this as a feminist film - certainly Michelle is easily the strongest character in it.
She is surrounded by men of varying weaknesses.... her son is functionally useless and needs support both financial and otherwise.
The scene in which his nasty, overbearing girlfriend gives birth is an eye opener!
Michelle's ex-husband, her lover and even as it turns out her attacker are very flawed men who are no match for a woman of her strength.
Regardless of any feminist intentions there is no doubt that this represents a different Verhoeven much from the one that gave us the likes of "Basic Instinct" even if there is still a recognisable style.
But there is undoubtedly a maturity to this film that was lacking in most of the others and a depth too.
Brilliant central performance aside this daring, complicated film is fitting tribute to an often underrated director every bit as much as it is to the complex character at the centre of the film itself.
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