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IMDbPro

Elle

  • 20162016
  • RR
  • 2h 10m
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
68K
YOUR RATING
Isabelle Huppert, Laurent Lafitte, and Elise Lahouassa in Elle (2016)
Theatrical Trailer
Play trailer2:10
16 Videos
99+ Photos
CrimeDramaThriller
A successful businesswoman gets caught up in a game of cat and mouse as she tracks down the unknown man who raped her.A successful businesswoman gets caught up in a game of cat and mouse as she tracks down the unknown man who raped her.A successful businesswoman gets caught up in a game of cat and mouse as she tracks down the unknown man who raped her.
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
68K
YOUR RATING
    • Paul Verhoeven
    • Philippe Djian(novel "Oh...")
    • David Birke(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Isabelle Huppert
    • Laurent Lafitte
    • Anne Consigny
    • Paul Verhoeven
    • Philippe Djian(novel "Oh...")
    • David Birke(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Isabelle Huppert
    • Laurent Lafitte
    • Anne Consigny
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 204User reviews
    • 378Critic reviews
    • 89Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar

    Videos16

    Elle
    Trailer 2:10
    Watch Elle
    Elle
    Trailer 2:10
    Watch Elle
    Official US Trailer
    Trailer 2:09
    Watch Official US Trailer
    International Teaser Trailer
    Trailer 1:51
    Watch International Teaser Trailer
    Stalker
    Clip 2:44
    Watch Stalker
    Senseless Acts
    Clip 0:46
    Watch Senseless Acts
    How About We Order
    Clip 1:28
    Watch How About We Order
    A New Cycle
    Clip 1:22
    Watch A New Cycle
    Exclusive Clip
    Clip 2:44
    Watch Exclusive Clip
    The Real Problem Is Right Here
    Clip 1:38
    Watch The Real Problem Is Right Here
    Empty Stare
    Clip 2:29
    Watch Empty Stare
    Elle: The Real Problem Is Right Here (US)
    Clip 1:39
    Watch Elle: The Real Problem Is Right Here (US)

    Photos113

    Paul Verhoeven and Isabelle Huppert in Elle (2016)
    Isabelle Huppert and Laurent Lafitte in Elle (2016)
    Isabelle Huppert in Elle (2016)
    Isabelle Huppert in Elle (2016)
    Isabelle Huppert in Elle (2016)
    Isabelle Huppert in Elle (2016)
    Paul Verhoeven and Isabelle Huppert in Elle (2016)
    Isabelle Huppert in Elle (2016)
    Isabelle Huppert in Elle (2016)
    Judith Magre in Elle (2016)
    Isabelle Huppert and Anne Consigny in Elle (2016)
    Isabelle Huppert in Elle (2016)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Isabelle Huppert
    Isabelle Huppert
    • Michèle
    Laurent Lafitte
    Laurent Lafitte
    • Patrick
    • (as Laurent Lafitte de la Comédie Française)
    Anne Consigny
    Anne Consigny
    • Anna
    Charles Berling
    Charles Berling
    • Richard
    Virginie Efira
    Virginie Efira
    • Rebecca
    Judith Magre
    Judith Magre
    • Irène…
    Christian Berkel
    Christian Berkel
    • Robert…
    Jonas Bloquet
    Jonas Bloquet
    • Vincent…
    Alice Isaaz
    Alice Isaaz
    • Josie…
    Vimala Pons
    Vimala Pons
    • Hélène
    Raphaël Lenglet
    Raphaël Lenglet
    • Ralf
    Arthur Mazet
    • Kevin…
    Lucas Prisor
    Lucas Prisor
    • Kurt…
    Hugo Conzelmann
    • Philipp Kwan
    Stéphane Bak
    Stéphane Bak
    • Omar
    Hugues Martel
    • Directeur Adjoint
    Anne Loiret
    Anne Loiret
    • Médecin
    Nicolas Beaucaire
    Nicolas Beaucaire
    • Agent Immobilier
      • Paul Verhoeven
      • Philippe Djian(novel "Oh...")
      • David Birke(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The initial plan was to produce the movie in the United States, but there were problems finding a female lead. Nicole Kidman, Sharon Stone, Julianne Moore and Diane Lane were offered the role, but they all passed on the opportunity. Marion Cotillard and Carice van Houten were also considered. Paul Verhoeven later revealed that when Isabelle Huppert heard of the plans to adapt the book, she called around to express her interest in the project; when she landed the lead role, she requested that Verhoeven be asked to direct. After producer Saïd Ben Saïd sent Verhoeven a copy of the book by Philippe Djian, his interest was immediately piqued, and fortunately, Verhoeven and Huppert were fans of each other's work and had wanted to work together for a long time, so his participation was quickly secured. It was then decided to relocate the shoot of Elle to France, since there would be no American lead and no American company was willing to produce such a controversial film. Verhoeven also claimed that most actresses who had previously been approached immediately turned down the part as soon as they had read the script, instead of waiting for a few days, which is standard practice. One of the actresses said that she felt uncomfortable because of things that had happened to her in the past, and another didn't give any reasons but just said "certainly not". Verhoeven also told The Guardian that the only American actress he thought would have been game was Jennifer Jason Leigh (with whom he worked in Flesh+Blood (1985)): "She would have had absolutely no problem. She's extremely audacious. But she's an artistic presence and we were looking for names". Although Huppert had difficulties relating to her character, Verhoeven was exceptionally pleased with her performance, stating that she brought things to the role beyond what was written in the script, and that it was her film from the beginning, since he had only joined the project much later on her insistence.
    • Goofs
      After her car crashed against trees, her cell phone and bag remained unmoved in the seat at her side. The airbag deployed indicating the crash was not light, and her objects must be fallen.
    • Quotes

      Michèle Leblanc: Shame isn't a strong enough emotion to stop us from doing anything at all. Believe me.

    • Connections
      Featured in Verhoeven Versus Verhoeven (2016)
    • Soundtracks
      Lust For Life
      Written by David Bowie and Iggy Pop

      Performed by Iggy Pop

    User reviews204

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10
    wittily provocative, unconventionally allegoric and intoxicatingly irresistible
    Dutch director Paul Verhoeven's long-delayed comeback after BLACK BOOK (2006), a vastly engaging Nazi-melodrama made in his motherland, which catapults its heroine Carice van Houten into stardom and to Hollywood as well. And ELLE, is his first French film which debuted earlier in this year's Cannes, headlined by an impeccably charismatic Isabelle Huppert.

    Elle refers to Michèle LeBlanc (Huppert), a middle-aged divorcée, who is the head of a video-game company in Paris (an interesting career choice), leads a quite complacent life regardless of some dissonances, like her ex Richard (Berling), with whom she remains an amiable rapport, is dating a new graduate student Hélène (Pons) which raises her eyebrows mixed with a small dosage of jealousy; Josie (Isaaz), the insolent girlfriend of their unambitious son Vincent (Bloquet), is a vitriolic nuisance, now that she is pregnant, they are dependent on Michèle to pay the rent of a new apartment; then her botox-addicted mother Irène (Magre, so sprightly in her age, almost 90), is too smitten with her toy boy Ralph (Lenglet) to be ethical; plus that she is having an affair with Robert (Berkel), the husband of her best friend and colleague Anna (Consigny), just as corny as that.

    But a horrific accident will disrupt the status quo, she is raped by a masked intruder in her own apartment, and with her own reason of not reporting the case to the police (a more horrific back story here), she carries on as if nothing happens apart from changing the locks and arming herself with a bottle of pepper spray. But the mysterious rapist doesn't leave her in peace, and she suspects that it is a personal reprisal due to some workplace disagreement, so she bribes a young employer to investigate her suspect. Meanwhile, she is sexually attracted to her neighbor Patrick (Lafitte), an urbane bank broker who lives across the street with his God-fearing wife Rebecca (Efira), Verhoeven and screenwriter David Birke pull no punches to foreground Michèle's sexual urges. An honest take of masturbation with the aid of a pair of binoculars bespeaks the unflinching audacity of the film's stance: we are all libido-driven creatures, even it will subject us to very perilous situations, we still cannot resist the delectable temptation.

    After the plot disclosing the identity of the rapist, the guessing game is over but the story veers into a more stimulating concept of why the act repeatedly happens and how far one would go to fully embrace the exploration of one's sexuality (to the extent of sadomasochism and role-playing), on the latter regard, the film is absolutely female-empowering, while the man is basely submitted to his primal desire, it is the woman who dares to challenge the perversity, question the insanity and take the initiative to navigate the course, which cannily imbues the preordained upshot with a tinge of ambiguity (is it a knowing plan of her or an unfortunate happenstance, which makes audience wonder).

    The synopsis of the story might sound morbid, but Verhoeven certainly shows his level- headedness to temper it with a comedic bent, mostly owing to Huppert's superb tour-de-force, she is fantastic in her poker-face frivolousness when saddled with the dead-serious matters, and unapologetically affective in the scenes where she is alone in the frame, submerging in her own thoughts and projecting enigmatic gazes, Michèle is a a hard case to crack, so proactive to seize the fate in her own hands, refuses to be sentimental or sympathetic. It goes without saying that Verhoeven has no intention of eliciting compassion or approval from viewers to justify Michèle's erratic behaviour, but admiration of her own unique existence, independent, honest and indestructible. A variegated supporting ensemble adorns and surrounds a sparkling Huppert, notable mentions to Laurent Lafitte, who legitimately balances on a very darker character between deception and candor, delves into the warring battle of a tortured soul and Anne Consigny, who is a refreshing, tendresse-radiating foil contrasting a relentlessly unfathomable Huppert.

    Love thy neighbors, but don't go overboard, ELLE is wittily provocative, unconventionally allegoric and intoxicatingly irresistible. Also the film has been selected as French candidate of BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE PICTURES, so Ms. Huppert is officially in contention for the increasingly chock-a-block Oscar race ahead, the plot deliciously thickens….
    helpful•45
    38
    • lasttimeisaw
    • Oct 11, 2016

    FAQ3

    • What is "Elle" about?
    • Is "Elle" based on a book?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 11, 2016 (United States)
      • France
      • Germany
      • Belgium
    • Official sites
      • Entre Chien et Loup (Belgium)
      • Frenetic Films (Switzerland)
      • French
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • 11bis Rue Charles Rhôné, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Yvelines, France
    • Production companies
      • SBS Productions
      • Twenty Twenty Vision Filmproduktion GmbH
      • France 2 Cinéma
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • 2 hours 10 minutes
      • Color
      • Dolby Digital
      • Dolby

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