Elle

Movie froze 3/4 through- never able to complete to the end. Sincerely, Harriet Mosson

Interesting movie. Not surprising given the director.

Loved this movie. Not for everyone though, just as Girl With The Dragon Tattoo wouldnt appeal to everyone.

What a disappointment. Very hard to watch with all the misogynist situations and references. While Isabelle Huppert remains one of the most capable and gifted actresses on the planet--found everything about her character off-putting and sad. She didnt win at the patriarchys game, she just was better at it than the surrounding men. Gives you the impression that French citizens are spoiled, effete and rather dull--which they are not. A much better film starring Huppert, Comedy of Power, gets everything right that this one doesnt. Wish I could get my $5.99 refunded.

For the great acting and very good production. A very twisted story, but not too far from reality for some. I wanted to stop watching it at one point, but I could not. Have you own experience.

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!

Yikes! This is not for the faint of heart.

Its lovely and talented Isabelle Huppert that keeps this rather dismal and violent movie afloat. Huppert is poetry in motion even though she play the less than likable Michele Leblanc. ELLE opens with a shocker as Michele is being violently raped. Its an unnerving scene. Whats even more unnerving is that she doesnt go to the police and basically returns to her life almost as if nothing had happened. Michele and her partner run a video game business--video games that are especially violent against women? Could her assailant be one of her employees? What makes ELLE even more of a dismal film is that Michele is not a likable person. Shes tough on her employees and on her son. She has disdain for her elderly mother and her fling with a handsome (and seemingly nice) young stallion. She is especially unkind to her ex-husband Richard who seems to spend his time trying to make amends with Michele. Micheles assailant is stalking her and it was clear to me quickly who he was. The psychological factor kicks in as it seems that Michele has a need for this invasive violence. Its a not too deep journey into Micheles psyche as we learn her father is a notorious criminal up for parole. Its his horrific crime and the then 10-year-old Micheles role (innocent or not) that forms the backbone of Micheles life. Unfortunately, a chance was missed to tell an engrossing psychological thriller her. It is stylistic as are many French films. Add in a famous Dutch director, Paul Verhoeven, and this could explain the uneven level of styles. The main reason to watch ELLE is to see Isabelle Huppert in motion.

Such a good movie. The lead access is a doll .

Some things from France are very tasty, like coq au vin. This is not one of those things. This is tasteless. In fact, making it tasteless would be doing us a favor, because this film tastes like Paul Verhovens junk after a boozy transatlantic flight. Halfway through, the viewer has an aha moment. We realize that while Paul Verhoven made Total Recall, he also made Strippers or whatever that POS with Elizabeth Berkeley was called. This is a POS of a different nature, because he has taken the tastelessness of Strippers and added subtitles. So the whole story of a loathsome post menopausal C word fascinated by rape and in love with her rapist... I honestly cant continue.