Elle

One can't help but note the decidedly brusque tone and pacing with which this operates, pointedly matching the strident personality of the title character, and the uncomfortable curtness of every social interaction. Between these two facets, the picture sits at a peculiar place of seeming to fly past while it's actually moving quite slowly - I was altogether surprised to look at the digital timer at one point to see that I was only halfway through the runtime. All the while, it's hard to get an exact beat on what 'Elle' is doing. It definitely carries itself in some measure as a psychological drama, or at least a character study, with major thriller airs; Michèle Leblanc is plainly fascinating, and the character writing generally is without question the sharpest aspect of these 130 minutes. The scene writing is ferocious and downright ugly, and the narrative at large is as indescribable as it is compelling. Only: what is it that I should be taking away from the viewing experience, especially in regards to dynamics between men and women? That I surely don't know, but it's safe to say that one way or another I'll be thinking about this for a long time.

I'm not familiar with Philippe Djian's novel, and I can't say I've seen other films that David Birke wrote - excepting 2021's superb 'Benedetta' that he co-wrote with director Paul Verhoeven. Wherever the credit belongs, the screenplay is tremendous: a maelstrom of strong emotions, very complicated characters, and horrid violence (a content warning is obviously extremely necessary for depictions of rape), with additional tidbits including not just those gender dynamics but also how we experience and react to violence at different times or in different ways, parent-child relationships, and more. As to any Big Ideas or themes that Djian, Birke, and/or Verhoeven were hoping to communicate, well, I'll need to turn this over in my head a bit more to discover what's hidden within. Even without such considerations, however, the movie is a stark, vivid ride, roundly absorbing and well worth exploring for the sheer excellence it represents. Beyond the writing, that absolutely includes Verhoeven's direction, steady and reliable as it's always been. For as forceful as the proceedings here are in many ways, he nonetheless demonstrates a dexterous, delicate hand in orchestrating shots and scenes that lets them sink in their claws instead of just landing with blunt impact; I shudder to think how poorly this material may have been treated in the hands of anyone less capable.

Everyone behind the scenes turned in great work, too, including fetching production design, costume design, hair, and makeup, and finely executed stunts and effects that are jarring as they present. Yet it's the folks in front of the camera who might be most readily striking of all. It's certainly noteworthy that star Isabelle Huppert received many nominations and awards for her portrayal of Michèle. Yet even in her case, it's not that any of the acting is singular and revelatory, specifically making a huge impression. Rather, it's more that like the broad tenor of 'Elle,' there's an unmistakably fierce, terse edge to the performances (Huppert's above all, by all means) that does much to harness and maintain the vibrant, harsh energy of the feature, propel the plot, and keep we viewers locked in. And really, all these elements work in tandem to achieve that vivid spark, which surely means Verhoeven deserves commendations once again for maintaining such a tight, dark vision over the whole affair, if not also producers Saïd Ben Saïd and Michel Merkt.

Even setting aside the important content warnings this won't necessarily appeal to everyone, least of all for some of the ideas that it plays with and the dire atmosphere. Even for a filmmaker who gleefully dances across extremities and taboos this is a bit of an oddity for his oeuvre, hard to particularly pin down. One way or another, however, the fact remains that 'Elle' is pretty fantastic all around, benefiting from the substantial skill and intelligence of all involved. Whether you're a diehard fan of someone involved or just looking for something good to watch this is well worth checking out. Be aware of the nature of the content, but otherwise just strap yourself in and watch the fireworks.

I did not realise that this was directed by Paul Verhoeven until I had winced my way through it hoping there would be some interesting twist on the psycho-papa storyline.... But no. Yet again Mr Verhoeven goes down the Ladies love rape road, especially powerful ladies. And in the capable Ms Huppert who is a serious French actress don't you know, means you have someone who is willing to perform all kinds of self debasement for the amusement of her director and us! When I got to the end I just sat there thinking "WTF was that all about?" Paul, I believe Rocco Seffredi has stepped down from the rough porn genre so there is an opening for you there. Why not just cut to the chase?

Greetings again from the darkness. It's best not to pre-judge what to expect in a new Paul Verhoeven directed film. We haven't seen or heard much from him in the past decade (the underrated Black Book, 2006), but we know surprises and twists and entertainment will be part of his work given his track record of Robocop, Total Recall, Basic Instinct, and Showgirls. Factor in that he is now working with one of the best actresses on the planet in Isabelle Huppert, and we walk into the theatre with no assumptions but a high level of anticipation.

The phrase 'tour de force' is no exaggeration for Ms. Huppert's performance here. No time is provided for settling into one's seat as the opening scene stuns us with a brutal sexual attack by a masked intruder. Afterwards, the bloodied victim calmly cleans the house, soaks in a tub and orders takeout. This is our introduction to Michele (Huppert) and begins our two hour mission of trying to figure her out.

Is she the ultimate feminist? She is the co-owner (with her best friend Anna) of a video game company that specializes in highly stylized and violent fantasy games (no subtle irony in that). Is she demented? She fools around with the husbands of her best friend and neighbor. Is she simply off-center? She scolds her mother for wanting to marry a much younger man, and her son for living with his selfish girlfriend who has a new baby via another man. She is not a good friend, business partner, mother, daughter, wife or person. This is no sympathetic character, yet thanks to Ms. Huppert, we simply can't take our eyes off of her or stop wondering how she will handle the next situation (of which there are many).

Based on the novel "Oh …" by Phillipe Dijan, with a screenplay from David Birke (who has a similar theme in much of his work), the film spares us little from the daily life of Michele. We see her as a confident business person, a sexual being – whether peering through binoculars at a neighbor or trysting with a married man - and a somewhat devious and devilish person intent on revenge. It's not until later in the film that we learn the family history that has been the driving force behind her rebuilding her life while also being unable to escape the past.

Ms. Huppert is in most if not every scene. It's a powerful and rare performance that is complemented by some fine supporting actors: Anne Consigny as Anna (Michele's friend and business partner), Christian Berkel as Robert (Anna's husband and Michele's play toy), Charles Berling as Richard (Michele's ex-husband), Judith Magre as Michele's mom, Laurent Lafitte as Patrick (the neighbor), and Jonas Bloquet as Vincent (the dim bulb son). Michele has interactions with each of these characters … none better than the Christmas dinner party where all are in attendance.

Verhoeven's film can be viewed as a slightly sleazy guilty pleasure, or as a profile of a strong, independent woman with a flawed moral compass. It's a reminder that we never fully escape the shadow cast by our parents, and some pay a greater price than others. It's rumored that no major American actress would take on the role, which in the end, benefits the film greatly … no other actress could have provided what was needed (except perhaps Barbara Stanwyck, who died more than 25 years ago). Ms. Huppert's performance allows this to cross many genres, and it is undoubtedly the best of the year in this category: a comically mean rape-revenge psychological thriller centered on consent and desire. Should you doubt this, perhaps Michele's own words will convince: "Shame isn't a strong enough emotion to stop us from doing anything at all." It's a pleasure to meet you ma'am.

From the late 1980's into the 1990's, Paul Veerhoven was one of the biggest names working behind the camera in Hollywood. Starting with 1987's Robocop and continuing through Total Recall, Basic Instinct and Starship Troopers, Veerhoven mastered the sex and violence ties that brought audiences out to his films in droves.

But 1995's Showgirls ended his run of good fortune. Considered by most to be one of the worst films of the 90's (it's not), Showgirls all but put Veerhoven in Guantanamo Hollywood prison. And since 2000, Veerhoven has directed but three films – Hollow Man, Black Book and Tricked.

With any fortune, Veerhoven will no longer take such a long sabbatical after his latest effort, Elle which was nominated for the Palme D'Or at Cannes and had its North American Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival this past Friday.

Elle stars Isabelle Huppert as Michele, a corporate CEO of a small video-game design company who deals with the emotional effects of a rape that occurs before the screen even fades in with the open scene. When audiences do get more than the horrifying audio of the assault, we view Michele as she fights with a masked intruder on the floor of her home. Beaten and raped, Michele cleans up and continues with her life. A prior bad history with the police leaves her not wanting to report the crime and stoically she marches on with the rape but a blip on life's resume.

But as time slowly separates her from the initial attack, it is clear that the attacker is not yet finished with is prey. Michele begins to find her house violated again by the unknown assailant and text messages from the rapist only further the intrigue. But Michele is no victim. She fantasizes about another return visit from the attacker with a more favorable result. And through her emotions she remains consistent in behavior which comes to a shock to others when she reveals the details of the attack.

Making things more complex for Michelle is her circle of family and friends. A father doing time for being a serial murder, a mother who pays young studs for sex, a son who can't hold either a job or a girlfriend and her co-workers, some of which she is sexually active with, only complicate her delicate situation.

Although Elle might seem like a mystery thriller, it is more of a character driven drama than a 'can-you-guess-who's-behind-the-mask'. So much so that Veerhoven reveals the face behind the ski mask early in the second half of the film. The reveal is to both the audience and to Michelle and how she continues to explore events on her own terms is as fascinating as it is head-scratching.

Although Veerhoven has routinely had strong women roles in his films, nothing is on par with Huppert's Michelle. The film is carried by her strong and intoxicating performance and Huppert is remarkably able to keep us involved and rooting for a woman who is mean and calculating to all those associated with her path.

Events don't exactly zig and zag towards an ending but I doubt audiences will be able to stay ahead of the smart script in determining what might occur next to our protagonist.

Elle isn't perfect, but it is perfectly cast and executed. The story will leave most in the cold and it isn't a feel-good film even if everything does eventually work itself into a nicely bowed present before the end title card.

Paul Verhoeven has always worn the mantle of provocateur with pride, from the alluringly pulp "Basic Instinct" to the scandalous stripper saga that was "Showgirls." Even when he dips his toe in genre fare, there's still nevertheless an undercurrent of erotic satire in them (remember the tri-boobed woman in "Total Recall"?). Even when Verhoeven plays it straight, like in the brilliant "Black Book", his films nevertheless drip with sensuality. His latest film, however, takes a more measured but by no means less lacerating tack.

At first glance, "Elle" is so cold-blooded it could almost be mistaken for a Michael Haneke film, especially as it features Haneke's muse, the glacially poised Isabelle Huppert, at its center. Certainly, "Elle" kicks right off in a suitably brutal manner one would typically see from Haneke: namely, the savage rape of its primary character in her own home by a masked intruder. Shades of "Funny Games" certainly are evident here, but Verhoeven nevertheless keeps his own brand of reptilian energy alive in the film. Huppert's Michèle immediately gets back into her daily routine: overseeing the newest release from her video-game company, dealing with the drama of her son's upcoming fatherhood with a girl Michèle cannot stand, and seeing her mother tentatively flirting with a new marriage while her father, a convicted murderer, languishes in prison. With everything on Michèle's plate, a little sexual assault is merely seasoning.

The shocking opening scene will certainly have audiences squirming, and indeed Verhoeven revisits it a couple of times throughout the film as Michèle mulls over the event, with variations here and there as she imagines how she could have defended herself—or provoked him further. And despite her desire to move on from the event, it continues to linger, especially as her assailant sends her threatening texts that he may not be done with her. But rather than go to the police, Michèle finds herself almost being an encouraging presence to her assailant, as though she craves the demeaning, degrading act to which she was subjected.

It is certainly a problematic viewpoint for any film to have: that of a rape victim desiring to return to the act itself. But Verhoeven's lurid sensibility strangely doesn't hit the exploitative level that he typically sets out to achieve. While the story does juggle its fair share of melodramatic subplots (swapping out an affair for a cuckolding here while touching on a dark childhood there), it mostly focuses on playing up the stalker cat-and- mouse theme. Michèle goes the "Brave One" route at first: buying (and using) mace, going to a gun range. But as all of her life's little foibles start to coalesce all at once, it's almost as though she seeks the grim simplicity of simply being a "victim."

I've always found Huppert to be a technically masterful but nevertheless somewhat clinical actress, one whose austerity can sometimes keep us at arm's length when she should instead be drawing us closer, deeper. I find that can be a bit of a detriment to some of her performances, but "Elle" relies on that puritanical presence, and her ascetic approach to her portrayal of Michèle is largely what makes the film work in the first place. She navigates the hectic labyrinth of her life like a ship cutting through thick fog, and even as Verhoeven puts his thumb on the tongue-in-cheek scales, she never once feels like she's in on the joke. Though Huppert was not Verhoeven's first choice (he shopped the script to the likes of Marion Cotillard and Carice van Houten beforehand), she nevertheless feels like the right one. Her flinty nature provides the dour center the film requires.

"Elle" does feel a bit bloated in his second half, and I honestly could've done with most of its tangential subplots being axed. Verhoeven's films generally outstay their welcome in terms of runtime, and Ellecomes dangerously close to that, but Huppert's compelling performance and Verhoeven's approach to the material will keep audiences in their seats, albeit forever squirming.