Elle (2016)

A successful businesswoman gets caught up in a game of cat and mouse as she tracks down the unknown man who raped her.

Director:

Paul Verhoeven

Writers:

Philippe Djian (novel), David Birke (screenplay)

Stars:

Isabelle Huppert, Laurent Lafitte, Anne Consigny

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 64 wins & 79 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Isabelle Huppert	...	Michèle
Laurent Lafitte	...	Patrick (as Laurent Lafitte de la Comédie Française)
Anne Consigny	...	Anna
Charles Berling	...	Richard
Virginie Efira	...	Rebecca
Judith Magre	...	Irène
Christian Berkel	...	Robert
Jonas Bloquet	...	Vincent
Alice Isaaz	...	Josie
Vimala Pons	...	Hélène
Raphaël Lenglet	...	Ralf
Arthur Mazet	...	Kevin
Lucas Prisor	...	Kurt
Hugo Conzelmann	...	Philipp Kwan
Stéphane Bak	...	Omar

Storyline

Michèle seems indestructible. Head of a successful video game company, she brings the same ruthless attitude to her love life as to business. Being attacked in her home by an unknown assailant changes Michèle's life forever. When she resolutely tracks the man down, they are both drawn into a curious and thrilling game-a game that may, at any moment, spiral out of control.

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Plot Keywords:

video game industry | video game company | opening scene repeated later in film | rape | neighbor | 

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Taglines:

An Oscar-worthy performance from Isabelle Huppert!

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence involving sexual assault, disturbing sexual content, some grisly images, brief graphic nudity, and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site [Japan]

Country:

France Germany Belgium

Language:

French

Release Date:

11 November 2016 (USA)

Also Known As:

Oh!

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Box Office

Budget:

€9,000,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,389,814, 16 January 2017

Company Credits

Production Co:

SBS Productions,Twenty Twenty Vision Filmproduktion GmbH,France 2 Cinéma

Technical Specs

Runtime:

130 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Michèle reads the paper towards the beginning of the film, there is a picture from Tokyo Story (1953) on the front page.

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Goofs

The number plate of Richard's car when he parks outside Michele's house is different from when she looks out of the window at his car. The same number plate is seen near the end of the film on Vincent's car.

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Quotes

Michèle Leblanc: I've came here to spit on my father's face. Can't say it was a metaphor.

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Connections

Referenced in De slimste mens ter wereld: Episode #11.24 (2018)

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Soundtracks

Los Angeles
Written and performed by Las Auto?

User Reviews

A Convoluted, Yet Well-Executed Premise!

After seeing this film at Cannes, it left me with rather mixed emotions, and I continued thinking about it for quite some time after; so after much thought, I decided it was time to write a review of this new French new flick. 'Elle' is a thought-provoking thriller from the hands of Dutch auteur Paul Verhoeven that is definitely not suitable for the younger audiences. Verhoeven has a tendency to venture down more explicit routes (think of 'Showgirls'), but this time took a psychological approach creating a film that will definitely leave you thinking.

Now, the plot can be rather convoluted. The film runs several plot lines alongside each other and at times, you can lose track of certain characters, but if you pay close enough attention, you'll fully appreciate the complex, yet original structure Verhoeven has created. The performances in the film are all fantastic, and the direction is magnificent (Verhoeven actually took to learning French as a new language so he could utilise an entire French crew), the cinematography and soundtrack both make great accompaniments, but I personally think the film's structure was the only downside to the film.

The subject matter is rather grim, revolving around sexual assault and the estranged relationship between the main character and her parents, but there are instances of humour that just give that little hint of lightheartedness to a relatively dark premise. All-in- all I would definitely recommend this film if you're a fan of dark thrillers along the lines of 'The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo' etc, but be prepared for a no-holds brazen thriller. Nonetheless, Verhoeven has made a sincere thriller that kept me thinking well after the credits had finished, so congratulations to him for that, and for undertaking the somewhat "risky" subject matter.