Elle

The French must really like their sex! That part was no surprise. But mixed in with a screwed up family and a collossal crime the story held it all together to he very end.

very good story, keeps you guessing

The movies that are not in English need to be labeled as such. We do not care to watch movies with the subtitle words throughout. Thus this movie was not of any use to us. Should get a refund but no means to ask or apply for one. We only watched a few minutes and then went elsewhere.

Not quite what I expected (which was something along the lines of Hard Candy) but it wasnt bad, just a bit strange

The plot twist comes as a total surprise! The resolve that only a European filmmaker and actors can bring to life in Europe.

Isabelle Huppert is amazing in a story that is provocatively contrived yet with a grain of truth at its base. What starts out like some Hollywood revenge fantasy veers into workplace drama, deranged family farce and of course, sexual transgression. Its got all the earmarks of classic Verhoeven: venal men, strong, if bare breasted women, perverse twists, taboo toppling. the director seems to take especial glee in humiliating just about every character in some way or another. Its ultimately a pitch black comedy, with Huppert doing her best Buster Keaton: she takes a licking and pops back up with a sort of aggressive impassivity. It revels in going to extremes, but like a Lynch, Almodovar or Cronenberg movie makes weird sense on its own terms. The story is riffing on the phenomenon of how some victims of trauma come to find comfort, even pleasure in ritualized violence, BDSM, in this case, rape play. Hupperts character is the daughter of a notorious mass murderer grown up to be the CEO of a company that makes hyper violent video games. She seeks to dominate all around her, with mixed success, when a sexual assault puts her on a path of self discovery and acceptance. Really. Less in line with the directors more tepidly risque Hollywood output, Elle hearkens back to the giddy perversity of the The 4th Man. Which makes it kind of a homecoming for Verhoeven, finally returning to making the kind of movies he was clearly put on this earth to do.

Hard to categorize. One of the greatest performances ever. How can a movie with this subject matter be so darkly funny. Such a great, complex characterization. One of 2016s great films (or any years). Dont be put off - see it.

Sometimes the stars align for a film, as is the case with the legendary French actress, Isabelle Huppert taking the lead in Paul Verhoevens in-your-face thriller, Elle. Both the story and the star are superbly matched, here. It is almost cliche to say that Verhoeven is controversial. Hardly any of his English-language films, from Robocop to Basic Instinct did not generate strident conversations. Elle was not different -- is no different -- in its uncomfortable look at the role a strong-willed woman plays in a still male-dominated society. A middle-aged CEO of a computer gaming company in Paris is attacked in her home. Not particularly unique, except that rather than reporting the rape to the police -- which, lets face it, probably wouldnt do any good -- she decides to take matters into her own hands and find the perp herself. She might have gotten more than she bargained for as the rapist begins taunting her, and without spoiling anything, when she finds out who it is it is not only surprising, but a bit anti-climactic. Verhoeven and his lead actress use the unusual, but clearly-told story as a vehicle for interrogating issues of sexual predation, sexism in the corporate world and much else. Rather well, I think.

Hands down, the most peculiar film Ive ever seen. Perhaps the comedy is lost in the cultural translation from French to American but it was not to my taste! The subject matter is distasteful and if this is what the French define as comedy, well, its all just wrong in my opinion. The main characters disregard for not only herself but those around her is startling and disturbing. Do, I regret spending time on this film, no. But would I ever recommend someone take time out of their life to view it, absolutely not.

Great movie! Dark, suspenseful, superbly cast & acted I’ve watched it three different times & found settle nuances I had missed prior. I would definitely recommend this movie to a friend.