“Elle” Review

The foreign language film which took two Golden Globes both for the film itself as well as Isabelle Huppert’s dramatic role as Michele Leblanc, is putting France on the map with it’s recent Academy Award nomination for best actress.

Sony’s Elle is the tale of tech savvy business woman, Michele Leblanc who goes on a search for the masked man who breaks in a forces himself on her one evening.  Leblanc doesn’t go to the police, for fear of her dark history with her father, but decides to take on the mask man herself.

All in all, the film set clearly in France, is wonderfully staged, from the details in the video game which Leblanc is producing to Huppert’s stunning acting ability as she plays the victim who seems to enjoy the forcefulness of her attacker.  Huppert has a stunning way of delivering her lines that, although in french, the audience captures every moment including the heart pounding realization of just who her attacker really is.

At 2 hours and 10 minutes, it’s a film that even non french speaking audiences will be sitting on the edge of their seats wondering who and what will happen next.

Elle came out in limited theaters, November 11th, 2016 and is still playing at several independent theaters.  It is rated R for language, adult content and graphic nudity, so beware, it’s not a move for the faint at heart, however it is a great movie for the nature and the acting.