Elle

This was a magnificently paced and darkly woven tale! Fantastic female lead actress- not difficult to see why she is a legend. I gave a lot of unsolicited advice to the characters as I was watching the film. A home security system would have wrecked the whole plot. It is not for the faint of heart with the home invasion(s), physical altercations etc. However, the entire film will cleverly bring up timely and charged topics from the news and struggles of todays world.

This was a great, great movie. I loved it from beginning to end. It had many surprises and took a decent amount of time in delving into the psyche of the main character. My only complaint is that it wasnt longer.

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.

An astonishingly excellent film with Isabelle Huppert.

Once upon a time, Paul Verhoeven was the hottest director in Hollywood, helming such box office hits as RoboCop and Basic Instinct. But a couple of disappointments (oddly, everyone I know loves Starship Troopers and Showgirls is regarded as a camp classic) is all it takes for studios to turn their back on you these days, so Verhoeven took his talent back overseas (he was born and raised in the Netherlands and didnt start directing American movies until the mid 80s - the underrated Flesh and Blood) where his style of sex, violence, and a good dose of humor seems to work best. This is the case with Elle, a movie that would be dead serious if it was made in Hollywood by anyone else. Thankfully, its French and helmed by Verhoeven – making it one of the more uniquely entertaining movies youre likely to come across. French actress and Academy Award nominee Isabelle Huppert ( indeed, one of the best and bravest actors currently working) stars as Michèle, who we see getting raped by a masked man (dressed all in black) in the movies opening moments. While this horrible event would be the cause of two hours of angst for a character in an American movie, Michèle treats her rape rather clinically, although that doesnt mean she doesnt become focused on both finding ways to protect herself and well as hoping to unmask the perpetrator – who begins a game of taunting her after the events take place. Michèle works for a videogame company whose specialty is creating violent and sexually exploitive games, so she immediately begins to suspect that one of her employees (maybe a current one, perhaps a former one) is the man who raped her. Others in Michèles circle of friends and acquaintances are also suspicious. I will confess to pinpointing who the person was as soon as his character is introduced in the movie, although I dont know if it will be that obvious to everyone who watches the film. However, the identity of the person is just the first surprise in the movie, as Michèles response is far from expected and may even turn some viewers (especially females, I suspect) off. I will say that knowing who it is (or having a pretty good idea) didnt take away any of my enjoyment, which is a good indication that the film holds up to multiple viewings and is much more than a whodunnit. The movie also has a great excuse why our lead character doesnt take her problems to the police; Michèles father was responsible for some horrible crimes at which she was present (as a little girl). The crimes were horrendous enough that complete strangers will shout awful things at her, and one woman (early in the movie) actually throws a tray of food on her in a public restaurant. Michèle treats that moment so nonchalantly, that viewers will know its happened to her many times before. But for all the seriousness of the subject matter here, the real surprise of Elle (which, incidentally, isnt a nickname for the main character but rather the French word for she) is what a wicked sense of humor is has. Not in the laugh-out-loud kind of way (although I certainly did so a few times), but in a dry, subversive way. Theres a great subplot here involving Michèles son (Jonas Bloquet) and the rather questionable girlfriend (Alice Isaaz) hes chosen for himself that goes places I dont think a Hollywood movie would dare (wait until you the scene where she gives birth!). Unfortunately a lot of us avoid foreign movies because you have no desire to sit and read subtitles for two hours – I sometimes feel the same, but I encourage you to give this movie a chance. If youve loved Verhoevens work here in the States, youll get that same feeling with Elle. I dont know that its the directors best movie, but its definitely a contender. Vital Disc Stats: (The Blu-ray.) Elle arrives on Blu-ray in a standard Sony-type blue keepcase (the kind with the flap on the side you need to lift up to open the case) and contains no inserts. The 50GB Blu-ray is front-loaded with trailers for Equity, Julieta, Toni Erdmann, Maggies Plan, and Our Little Sister. The main menu consists of a still image of actress Isabelle Hupperts character and the cat in the movie (the same image that graces the back of the keepcases slick), with menu selections horizontally across the bottom of the screen. The Blu-ray is region-free.

Hands down, the most peculiar film Ive ever seen. Perhaps the comedy is lost in the cultural translation from French to American but it was not to my taste! The subject matter is distasteful and if this is what the French define as comedy, well, its all just wrong in my opinion. The main characters disregard for not only herself but those around her is startling and disturbing. Do, I regret spending time on this film, no. But would I ever recommend someone take time out of their life to view it, absolutely not.

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

Solid acting by the cast and I definitely feel that Huppert was robbed of the Oscar for best actress. The reason I give it such a low score is that the main character, Huppert, deals with everything else but her rape. Her son who is being cheated on by his girlfriend and raising a child that isnt his, Having an affair with her best friends husband, Dealing with her ex husband, Her father is a serial killer and her mom keeps banging younger men. Everything is about them and not her. Even she brushes off her rape as if it were a walk in the park. My friend tried justifying it by saying her suffering is lost in the shuffle of everyone elses problems. I disagree because for one, Her rape is never really address. She just kind of brings it up at a party like Oh, I was raped and thats it. And second, Shes a main cause of the problems going in on her life. She bangs her best friends husband, Tries petty stuff to get even at her ex husband and she deeply resents her mother and father. And the real kicker of the film that is about rape is that it never addresses the rape itself. Its all just total nonsense, I cant stand it.

Terrific!!! I love French cinema! And this movie doesnt disappoint!!

ugh, Huppert is a great actor but geez, the storyline is rather unbelievable, and the happy ending is rather absurd....