« RISK — CANNES 2016 | Main | GIMMIE DANGER — CANNES 2016 »

May 22, 2016

ELLE — CANNES 2016

   ColeSmithey.com   Welcome!

Groupthink doesn't live here, critical thought does. Punk heart still beating.

This ad-free website is dedicated to Agnès Varda and to Luis Buñuel.

Get cool rewards when you click on the button to pledge your support through Patreon.

Thanks a lot acorns!

Your kind generosity keeps the reviews coming!

Cole Smithey on Patreon

ColeSmithey.com

ColeSmithey.comCannes, France —Paul Verhoeven’s “Elle” is a diabolically gleeful black comedy brimming with sly social commentary and traumatically induced sexual fetishes.

"Elle" is an exquisite film.

Gorgeous satire overseen by the Queen of diabolical fetishistic desire, the incomparable Isabelle Huppert.

The director of such instant classics as "Starship Troopers” and "Black Book” uses Philippe Djian’s novel “Oh…” as a launching pad for an erotic suspense thriller packed with thematic material regarding the thin line between sociopathic and psychopathic behavior.

ColeSmithey.com

Isabelle Huppert is the only actress in the world who could pull off such an incredible high-wire act; Huppert does it with delicious aplomb.

ColeSmithey.com

The ubiquitous French actress plays Michele, an anti-heroine unlike anything you’ve ever imagined. Michele works as the head of company that creates bizarre video games. Her workplace proves an ideal outlet for Michele's unique set of social skills that tend to involve her voracious bi-sexual appetite.

Yummy, and dangerous.

ColeSmithey.com

Michele’s highly polished survival instincts derive from a trauma she suffered when she was 10 after her father went on a neighborhood killing spree that claimed 27 human victims and many animal fatalities before he returned home to Michele whose assistance he employed in burning down the family residence. Her psyche is as pre-disastered as her ego is well defended.

ColeSmithey.com

Still, Michele is not immune to attack. After being raped by a masked intruder, Michele toughens up even more rather than involve the police. Michele’s childhood experiences with law enforcement have forever soured her from seeking assistance from Johnny law.

ColeSmithey.com

She’d rather fantasize about exacting revenge against a rapist that she correctly presumes will return for more. Michele treats friends, family, and employees with equal ironic disdain. The effect is dark hilarity.

The tone of the film aligns with Roman Polanski's adaptation of Yasmina Reza’s “Carnage,” but has a looser, more inclusive, feel to it.

ColeSmithey.com

Compositionally, the picture is exquisite. Director of photography Stephane Fontaine (“Rust and Bone”) provides detailed depth to Michele’s deceptively dangerous bourgeoisie surroundings. Michele’s murderous reveries take on an element of BDSM fantasy that hit dramatically composed high notes of thematic resonance.

ColeSmithey.com

It seems doubtful that “Elle” will win the Palme d’Or for its Cannes competition debut, but its inclusion in the festival’s grand arena sends the right message.

“Elle” will confound some viewers just as “Starship Troopers” did. Michele takes no prisoners, and neither does Verhoeven in a film that flouts conventional wisdom about degrees of misogyny, feminism, sexual intrigue, and individuality.

ColeSmithey.com

Daring, ribald, and scathing on every satirical level, “Elle” sets a standard that 21st century cinema should aspire to.

ColeSmithey.com

It kicks Hollywood in the teeth without lifting a finger.

Glory.

Rated R. 130 mins.

5 Stars ColeSmithey.com

Cozy Cole

Cole Smithey on Patreon

Comments

Feed You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.

Verify your Comment

Previewing your Comment

This is only a preview. Your comment has not yet been posted.

Working...
Your comment could not be posted. Error type:
Your comment has been saved. Comments are moderated and will not appear until approved by the author. Post another comment

The letters and numbers you entered did not match the image. Please try again.

As a final step before posting your comment, enter the letters and numbers you see in the image below. This prevents automated programs from posting comments.

Having trouble reading this image? View an alternate.

Working...

Post a comment

Comments are moderated, and will not appear until the author has approved them.

Featured Video

SMART NEW MEDIA® Custom Videos

COLE SMITHEY’S MOVIE WEEK

COLE SMITHEY’S CLASSIC CINEMA

Throwback Thursday


Podcast Series