Genre: Drama/ Thriller
Runtime: 130 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Isabelle Huppert, Laurent Lafitte, Anne Consigny, Charles Berling, Virginie Efira, Judith Magre, Christian Berkel, Jonas Bloquet, Alice Isaaz, Vimala Pons, Raphaël Lenglet, Arthur Mazet, Lucas Prisor, Hugo Conzelmann, Stéphane Bak, Hugues Martel, Anne Loiret
Description: A successful businesswoman (Isabella Huppert) gets caught up in a game of cat and mouse as she tracks down the unknown man who raped her.
Review: The film opens with a brutal rape scene. It can go into two directions from there: it’s either going to be a revenge story or a tearjerking drama. But director Paul Verhoeven took a completely different path. “Elle” is a daring, somewhat perverted dark movie, which provokes.
Michèle is a tough business woman who wants tob e in control at all times. She runs a successful gaming company and wants no back talk from her employees. That Michèle turns everyone against her, is no surprise. When she is attacked and raped in her own house, she even picks up her daily routine, without calling the police. When het attacker starts to stalk her, she decides t take the matters in her own hands.
“Elle” is anything but polically correct. Michèle is surrounded by dubious characters: from her sexually active mother and her gigolo slash fiancée to her whimpy son and his aggressive pregnant girlfriend.
Michèle is portrayed by Isabella Huppert. She shows guts, both physically and emotionally. Huppert obviously carries this film, without any trouble The rest of the cast sort of fades because of her great performance.
“Elle” tries to balance between dark humor, thriller elements, satire and tries to shock. But one is standing in the way of the other. There never is a balance.
Rating: 3/ 5
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