The new drama Elle is France’s pick for consideration as Best Foreign Language Film at the next Academy Awards (whether or not it will be nominated has yet to be determined). It is also one that is certain to court controversy. The movie depicts a hard-nosed businesswoman suffering repeated violent rapes over the course of its lengthy running time, and her attempts to identify the attacker with some unexpected ramifications.
As much as I like the work director Paul Verhoeven (The 4th Man, Robocop, Total Recall, Basic Instinct, Starship Troopers and, umm, the not-so-great Showgirls), this is a filmmaker who isn’t exactly known for his subtlety. Surprisingly, his touch here is relatively restrained. In actuality, the tone of this feature is quite different from his other works. The assaults are harrowing and horrifying to watch; they’re also clearly acts of brutal violence.
Michèle Leblanc (Isabelle Huppert) is the successful head of video game development firm who suffers the atrocious attack… and has an unexpected reaction. She simply continues her daily routine without even notifying the police. As she heads back to work and meets with friends, a number of subplots are developed involving co-workers, family members and acquaintances. Just about every character is being deceived in one way or another and several. One guesses that the intent is to show that beneath the surface of normalcy, there are different kinds of abuses and manipulations occurring between men and women.
Huppert’s performance is impressive, especially considering what the character must process emotionally and how unusual some of her behavior is. Michèle’s demeanor is consistently cold; she’s a tough executive who doesn’t show her feelings. Still, her distress is visible even as she follows normal routines and attempts to keep up appearances. There’s also a strange hint of compliance later and when she finally decides to act out, it’s in a very calculated way.
Unfortunately, the movie isn’t without problems. The movie strives in its attempts to present the lives of the characters in an authentic and relatable manner. Michèle’s personal calendar is very full, meaning that the story goes on several tangents with numerous supporting characters. Understandably, viewers are supposed to be suspicious of all the men in her life. Honestly, there are too many people present and as social engagement after social engagement occurs with both male and female friends, the overstuffed roster begins to bog events down. The movie feels like it has a couple of roles too many and is about 20 minutes too long for its own good.
Even odder is a strange back story that is introduced, in which we learn that Michèle’s father was a serial killer. Sure, these sordid details from the past explain to some degree the protagonist’s lack of a fiery response to the crimes on her. And it certainly sets up a pattern of lifelong abuses as well as an icy manner of dealing with them. Still, this is pretty outrageous stuff for a heavy drama and it is only thanks to Huppert’s performance that one can takes it seriously at all.
This is a difficult film that is sure to provoke some extreme reactions. Personally, I was very impressed with the acting, but also found the story to be a slow-moving exercise that takes too long to get where it’s going. Elle tackles a disturbing subject in a unique way that also subverts expectations, but it requires an abundance of patience to ultimately reach its resolution.