Elle

Woman is raped in her home. The scene is played over and over. She refuses to go to the police as she has a bad history with the police--her father is a mass murder who killed all her neighbors, their kids, and their pets when she was a little girl. In fact the way she robotically goes about her life afterwards you wouldnt think she thought much about it. I think one of her friends even comments on that. In her half-hearted attempt to find out who it is (she thinks it is a young guy who works for her) she continues having an affaire with her best friend and company co-owners husband; she fondles, flirts, and even masturbates (while watching him out the window) to/with her devout Christian neighbors husband; pays for her learning disabled and fast food working sons apartment with his girlfriend who obviously had a baby by someone other than him (the baby comes out black); and gets jealous of her ex-husbands new young Yoga instructor girlfriend. In short, the heroine in this movie, along with the supporting characters, are just vile, immoral, disgusting people. They are damaged in one way or another. They arent redeemed in the end. There is nothing I can relate to in any of them. And as usual with this type of movie, including it being French, there are the cold callous moments in regards to sex and relationships that isnt even human. And what is even more disgusting is that the main character finds out who her rapist is and continues to sleep with him (or let him abuse her depending upon how you look at it). She tells him that their relationship is diseased and twisted when she comes home from a party she invited him to( weirdo). That is, she does this until her son comes home and bashes the rapist/lovers head in (which you get to see in graphic detail) when the son thinks his mom is being assaulted again, which she is not, again, depending upon the definition of depravity you apply to this garbage. There is the usual Hollywood mocking of Christians in the movie and portraying them as weird and demented, right up to the end scene. The woman even owns one of those violent computer game companies. We, the audience, have the pleasure of watching violent scenes from that. Just a disaster of a movie that starts and goes no where.

Kept hoping itd get better, but no.

This story calls for a strong-minded, level-headed female lead and Huppert is perfect for it. Ive always loved her performance but it took me a long time to make up my mind to watch this one because of the subject matter. It did not disappoint. Like many French films and unlike most Hollywood films, it has a main plot line and many sub plot lines which are just as intriguing. In the first half hour, it unfolds so well about the relationships and dynamics among the characters involved without wasting scenes to explain, just enough to keep the suspense going but not too much to insult our intelligence. Obviously we are kept on our toes all the way to the end on the question of who did it, but for me its also about the personal struggle of finally breaking free from ones painful past and starting to move on with living. She is so fearful of reporting the assault to the police because she does not stir up the public attention of the past--there she continues to let the past influence her actions and rule her life. Spoiler alert: at one point there is a conclusion to her past (the passing of her father), after which she starts making different decisions...At the end of the day, this is a happy-ending story. Before watching it, I had vaguely remembered review words like controversial and thought maybe it had something to do with her attraction to the aggressor. After watching it I have to say her attraction to the aggressor (without knowing who it is at the time) precisely highlights the point for many rape victims in real life, that what constitutes a rape is without the consensus of the victim, regardless of how attractive the aggressor is. On the other hand, I thought what could be a bit controversial might be how she refuses to forgive her father (and her mother for that matter) even when they are on their deathbeds. Most movies would have them reconcile somehow, but this plot is more honest. I dont personally have such a painful past with my family to be able to directly relate but I hope this detail is validating and comforting to those who can relate, and that it is okay not to forgive those who did wrong to you, as long as this feeling empowers and liberates you, like it did her.

Director Paul Verhoeven is famous for his provocative films, often combining sex, violence and psychological power play. Actress Isabelle Huppert is famous for her demanding roles, often playing powerful women with an obsession for sex and/or violence. Put the two together and you can guess what you get. Elles lead character, Michèle, is a woman who owns a video game company, specializing in games filled with extreme sex and violence. She casually shares her bed with her best friends husband. She masturbates watching the neighbour unloading the trunk of his car. Her father is a convicted serial killer. Oh, and she doesnt seem to mind getting raped. At least, thats the impression after the very first scene. After having been attacked and violently raped, she doesnt call the police of even a friend, but a fast food restaurant, ordering something to eat. The film explores not only Michèles relationship with her rapist, whose identity is established after about two thirds of the film, but also the men and women in her immediate circle. They all have their problems and peculiarities, and Michèle seems to pull all their strings as a hard, cold woman, superbly mastering her feelings and emotions. For the viewer, it takes some effort to understand all the different relationships, and even more to grasp Michèles behaviour. The only explanation Verhoeven offers, is her troubled youth as the daughter of a serial killer. In my opinion, the film suffers from an overload of characters with psychological difficulties. Theres a mother hiring a gigolo because she cant accept getting older, theres a son clinging to a dominating girlfriend, a neighbour with a wife obsessed with religion, an employee playing a dirty trick on Michèle, and so on. Personally, I found it a bit too much. The one thing that stands out in this film, is Isabelle Hupperts acting. Any other actress could easily have made Michèles character unbelievable. But Hupperts utter detachment from any form of sensitivity makes the part completely convincing.

Huppert is what earns two stars for this bloated, pretentious mess of a movie! I loved her character in Piano Teacher, and the character she portrays in this one is cut from the same cloth. She is born to play these roles. She looks good too! For a Verhoeven film, this is crap! The film isnt shocking at all. It doesnt have to be shocking, but it could at least be a good film. It didnt resonate with me. Verhoevens films usually gut punch on a social satire level, but this movie is merely your typical, predictable, Hollywood crap with a little rape thrown in. Big deal! Some say that the story telling, and character development is what elevates this film over many others. I call shananigans on that too! Youll notice that every conflict the film throws at you, (and its a lot of them!) is nicely resolved at the end. A perfect little fit. Not one loose end or question will linger by the end credits. I guess its a satire of typical, lame Hollywood dramas. Sadly the movie only succeeds in being the very thing it attempts to lampoon. In conclusion, I highly recommend this to Huppert fans. Verhoeven fans should avoid this!

Interesting. An ode to Isabelle Hupperts beauty.

Interesting movie about a woman who is raped and plays a cat and mouse game with her attacker all the while secretly in a twisted lust with the experience. Shes a powerful woman working in a mans world, owning a video game company and trying to live life and escape her past. With a troubled relationship with her son and his girlfriend, her man lusting mother and her criminal father she becomes obsessed with her attacker and almost seemingly turned on as well. Its very different, a foreign film that goes slow at times but def keeps you guessing.

Im not sure why this was critically acclaimed unless it was because it was critically horrible. This is a story about a woman who is so psychologically and pathologically messed up because of her father and circumstances surrounding her upbringing that, instead of being horrified by being attacked and raped in her home, she uses the incident as a spring board to act out her demented sexual fantasies. I kept hoping the film would get better but it never did.

Its a poor movie.

Director Paul Verhoeven is famous for his provocative films, often combining sex, violence and psychological power play. Actress Isabelle Huppert is famous for her demanding roles, often playing powerful women with an obsession for sex and/or violence. Put the two together and you can guess what you get. Elles lead character, Michèle, is a woman who owns a video game company, specializing in games filled with extreme sex and violence. She casually shares her bed with her best friends husband. She masturbates watching the neighbour unloading the trunk of his car. Her father is a convicted serial killer. Oh, and she doesnt seem to mind getting raped. At least, thats the impression after the very first scene. After having been attacked and violently raped, she doesnt call the police of even a friend, but a fast food restaurant, ordering something to eat. The film explores not only Michèles relationship with her rapist, whose identity is established after about two thirds of the film, but also the men and women in her immediate circle. They all have their problems and peculiarities, and Michèle seems to pull all their strings as a hard, cold woman, superbly mastering her feelings and emotions. For the viewer, it takes some effort to understand all the different relationships, and even more to grasp Michèles behaviour. The only explanation Verhoeven offers, is her troubled youth as the daughter of a serial killer. In my opinion, the film suffers from an overload of characters with psychological difficulties. Theres a mother hiring a gigolo because she cant accept getting older, theres a son clinging to a dominating girlfriend, a neighbour with a wife obsessed with religion, an employee playing a dirty trick on Michèle, and so on. Personally, I found it a bit too much. The one thing that stands out in this film, is Isabelle Hupperts acting. Any other actress could easily have made Michèles character unbelievable. But Hupperts utter detachment from any form of sensitivity makes the part completely convincing.