Elle (2016)
Director: Paul Verhoeven
Starring: Isabelle Hubert, Laurent Lafitte, Anne Consigny, Charles Berling
Primary genre: Psychological
Secondary genre: Thriller
Nominated for: Best actress
What is “Elle” about? After watching Paul Verhoeven’s French film based on Philippe Djian’s book, you will be left scratching your head. Is this an elusively conceived masterpiece around an extremely sensitive issue for women? Or an exploitative take on sexual assault from a male perspective? Chances are that you might find yourself in neither camp of thought but do not be surprised if your own reasoning deducts something entirely different and more deep altogether.
Focusing on the aftermath of a brutal rape within her own house, our protagonist does not take the ordinary route of outrage, trauma or depression. In a nefarious twist, Michele skips and even belittles the drama, shock, guilt and shame which such a horrific event like this can bestow upon an individual preferring to continue her life as it is under a hearty amount of upper middle class satire. This sexually charged, middle aged, powerful and sassy CEO of a videogame company in “Elle” goes to places that will make you uncomfortable and squeamish.
While the mystery behind the identity of the assailant remains compelling with the script hinting that any of the (much younger) men around her life could be the perpetrator, this tale of uncompromised and slow burn revenge boasts a more articulate display of genuine human emotions stemming from an individual who refuses (much to the viewer’s surprise) to be a victim. Tackling issues of nature vs nurture, Michele is a master manipulator for her own nefarious and hedonistic purposes; a maestro of men’s desires whose possible motivations make more sense throughout carefully placed backstory drops that allocate a sense of ambiguity in her actions.
“Shame isn’t a strong enough emotion to stop us from doing anything at all”
Hubert portrays Michele as a capable and deeply flawed protagonist who excels and occasionally relishes in her own passive-aggressive power. While later films such as “Tar” (2022) have directly tackled the abuse of power from a female perspective, “Elle” almost a decade earlier seeks to deconstruct the ways a traumatizing event can unearth a web of complex emotions primarily comprised of lust. The Oscar nominated and fearless actress breaks several boundaries with this role hinting an individual whose emotional and psychological journey is not as straightforward as you might consider.
Unable to imagine anyone else as a visual reference for Michele, Hubert has the unique skill to convey rich emotions by raising just an eyebrow or putting up a disappointing look of intellectual superiority. As layers of her every day life are peeled in a two hour running time, a messy life that is held together by an overabundance of intelligence is being revealed. Her social peers might be smart and successful within their own right but like her they are socially inept to conceive and understand the sentimental prison they have entered unable to tell the truth for even the simplest and most obvious of things.
Verhoeven, ten years after “Black Book” (2006) is on top form finding a muse to Hubert evident by her present in every single frame surrounding her by his typical traits which do not overshadow this intriguing story. Black humor, satire and sudden bursts of explicit violence come together to support one of the best films of the 2010s bypassing dark plot developments with intrigue and ease. A motion picture so rich in context that will leave you speechless in disgust and awe due to its unpredictability. “Elle” is that audacious inspiring a debate for years to come.
Provocative and brave
+Hubert gives a career defining performance
+Clever mystery
+Non conventional approach to a particular sensitive issue
+Intriguing mystery
+Rich thematic content