Film review: Elle
MANILA, Philippines – As one of the foreign films being shown during the Cinema 1 Originals Festival, be sure not to miss Paul Verhoeven’s Elle. Starring the always magnificent Isabelle Huppert, the film is France’s official entry for Oscars Best Foreign Film consideration; and it would not surprise me if Huppert gets a Best Actress nomination — she is that good, that compelling, in the psychological thriller that also works as black comedy-satire. From the chilling opening rape scene, we are brought on a rollercoaster ride that turns notions of victim on its head, and by film’s end will have us debating as to whether the crime of rape is more about power and domination, than it is about sexual desire.
As head of a gaming company, Huppert is the antithesis of the weaker sex; domineering, arrogant, even cruel, she leaves a trail of battered bodies behind her in her everyday life. She belittles her weak son and his pregnant girlfriend, she bullies her workforce, has an affair with her best friend’s husband, runs roughshod over the affair of her mother and has her ex dangling on a string. The home incident of assault and rape is one she refuses to report to the police given her family history — she is daughter to a convicted serial killer languishing in prison. Rather, is manner that confounds, she takes matter in her own hands; but not in a simplistic way.
Verhoeven has directed the likes of the original Robocop, the forgettable Showgirls, and of course, Basic Instinct, but nothing in his filmography will prepare us for Ellle. And we can thank our cinema gods that he had to move the film to Europe and that Huppert was willing to take on the role that major leading ladies in the US had been advised to refuse.
With a mere facial expression, a rolling of her eyes, a stare, Huppert speaks volumes. Disdain, perverted pleasure, exasperation, they all clearly come to us with her attack on the modern woman role. Even without the tension-filled, fleet storyline, Huppert’s performance is worth the price of admission.
This is a psychological portrait with much depth and texture. And thanks to the incisive and brilliant screenplay, we are constantly thrown off with how the plot develops. At times bracing social satire, at times incendiary social commentary, and always watchable, this is both disturbingly funny, and a true pleasure to watch unravel. Along with other notable films, we should thank Cinema 1 for giving us the opportunity to view this. I watched it at its Glorietta screening, and I know there are screenings to follow at Trinoma, Greenhills Promenade and Gateway — go check the schedules online.