Elle - Lilith Likes to Watch

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Title: Elle
Year: 2016

Starring: Isabelle Huppert

Director: Paul Verhoeven

Synopsis: When Michèle, the CEO of a gaming software company, is attacked in her home by an unknown assailant, she refuses to let it alter her precisely ordered life. She manages crises involving family, all the while becoming engaged in a game of cat and mouse with her stalker. - Via Letterboxd.com

Lilith's Notes: It's Paul Verhoeven. There's no way this could fail right? Right?

Buy: Amazon

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"I'm the boss here."

Go watch the trailer for this movie. Go ahead. I’ll even link it to you for your convenience. Don’t worry, it’s safe for work. Watch it. I’ll wait.

Back? Great.

Doesn’t that trailer just scream slick rape revenge thriller?

Well, too fucking bad because if you thought that than you, like me, have been deceived and are a victim of false advertising.

This is not Verhoeven’s return to sultry thrillers like Basic Instinct. No. Instead this is apparently a satire. Of what, I’m not sure. That’s a problem because we all know Verhoeven relishes his satire but sometimes it’s too opaque for some people, see also: Starship Troopers and Showgirls.

Maybe that’s the problem here? Is Elle too subtle?

But what is Elle about? What’s the premise?

Well, a woman named Michele (played by Isabelle Huppert) is violently assaulted in her own home and then just goes on with her life. Meanwhile the town hates her because of an incident in her past and everyone else in her orbit is kind of a dick. Once the identity of her attacker is revealed, she begins a concentual affair with him complete with violent rape-play because that’s the only way that works for him.

I’ve heard this film be referred to a comedy, satire, and I don’t see it? All I see is a middle aged woman who was assaulted, then doesn’t react the way anyone expects her to react and ha ha that’s the joke! That’s the commentary! Isn’t it subversive?

No.

The only shred of grace I can give this idea is that maybe it’s a product of its time. By that I mean maybe we weren’t as open to other forms of coping and healing and surviving in 2012, when the book was published, as we are now. “There’s no one way to deal with grief” is maybe a relatively new tool we as enlightened human beings have adopted into our arsenal of survival. So maybe when the book-slash-movie was released, it was more shocking curiosity, more of a psychological exploration than it is now?

When this film came out, it was met with accolades. It ended up on several best of the year lists and the lead performer was nominated for several awards. Huppert was good in the movie but I didn’t see anything especially impressive.

If I’m feeling generous, I could look at this story as a study of family trauma, how woman’s past has haunted her throughout her life, but all the chaos around her, the pressure of family and career just requires Michele to lean on no one but herself. Old reliable. Trauma is there, just buried under obligation and languishing unaddressed. And maybe she thinks she deserves the assaults. I’m not going to sit here and shame her for it, outlets are outlets and we do what we have to to get through the days. If a little consensual non consent helps her feel a little better, then fine.

But I never said I was feeling that generous.

When you present something packaged in one way, and the actual product is a slipshod triste on the pressures of the average modern working woman, shrouded in some intangible “satire”, then we have a problem.

I’m not going to call this movie misogynist and I’m not going to call it empowering, either. It’s a dry, dull, overwrought fib.

This wasn’t what I wanted, Elle, why did you do this to me?

Best Moment: There was a cat. The cat gave no fucks.

Worst Moment: The movie started with the assault, setting the tone for the entire film, but then stalled out and meandered away into workplace drama and familial relationships.

LILITH'S SCORE: 2.5/5

Until next time, my voracious voyeurs. I’m Lilith, and I’m always watching.