Isabelle
Huppert stars as Michele, a successful owner of a video game company who is
assaulted in her home in the opening scene. Given her past experiences, she refuses to go
to the cops. Instead, she decides to protect
herself from the rapist’s ever-increasing threats. Meanwhile, she goes about living her life as
she juggles her stressful job with her dysfunctional family.
On
the surface, Elle just seems like your typical drama. The fact that it is directed by Paul
(Robocop) Verhoeven should clue you in to just how fucked up it is. It was shot in France with a primarily French
cast and it is surprisingly frank and matter-of-fact in its attitudes toward
sex, rape, and harassment.
As
played by Huppert, Michele is an endlessly fascinating character. Despite the constant threat of attack, she
takes it all in stride. Danger may potentially
lurk around every corner, but she refuses to be a victim and live in fear.
Also,
her needs and flaws are projected for all to see without apology or
explanation. The movie is brave enough
to suggest that perhaps Michele welcomes these attacks. That somewhere inside her, there is a deep-seeded
desire to be abused. Only a guy like Verhoeven
could get away with something like that, and very few actresses could sell
Michele’s plight and make it believable and empathetic.
They
say there are no good roles for women of a certain age. Elle is a fierce and unrelenting rebuke to
that myth. Huppert gives a tour de force
performance of such raw intensity and soulful humanity that you are with her
every step of the way. She was
rightfully nominated for an Oscar for her work but lost to Emma Stone for La La
Land. If you watch the two performances,
there really is no competition. This is
one of the best performances of the new millennium.
One
of the exhilarating things about Elle is that you never know where it’s going
next, and I’m not talking about Michele’s quest to find her attacker. I mean in her everyday life. From a truly awkward Christmas party to the antics
of her fuck-up son, surprises wait for you at every corner. Sure, things are wrapped up a little too
neatly in the end, but Verhoeven never once cops out or lets anyone off the
hook. Besides, this is one instance where
a happy ending was richly deserved.
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