In a Nutshell. Mini reviews of movies old and new. No fuss. No spoilers. And often no sleep.

Thursday 1 June 2017

ELLE [2016]

Director Paul Verhoeven both allures and repels with the French psychological revenge thriller Elle.
Still troubled from witnessing her father go on a mass murder spree years ago, Elle, an older woman falls victim to a violent rape that takes her down a path she is oddly attracted to in the most disturbing of ways.
Isabelle Huppert, in the title role, delivers a very gripping performance with all sorts of nuanced layers that I don't think many others in her profession could pull off.  After stinkers like Hollow Man and Showgirls, Verhoeven has wisely decided to tackle more low-key projects. Here it allows him to shine with a deadpan absurdity that isn't apparent as it's buried beneath a disturbing ordinariness that threatens to crumble with each uneasy corner.  The film isn't for everyone but should you feel the need to venture down this dark psychosexual path, I can assure you it's riveting as it is repulsive.

4 feline witnesses out of 5

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