Isabelle Huppert may not be well known on this side of the Atlantic, but in her native France she is regarded as one of Europe's premier actresses. Her 13 Cesar nominations for best actress, France's Oscar, tie her with Catherine Deneuve in that illustrious category, and her 15 nominations overall make her the outright leader. Add to that, the film 'ELLE' won this year's Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film with Ms. Huppert getting the call as Best Actress.
ELLE has been described as both a comedy and a drama, but don't be misled. It is a mystery bordering on horror worthy of Alfred Hitchcock. For the diminutive Ms. Huppert (5'1") it is a tour de force. Michelle (her character) is a victim, a revenge driven seducer and, most of all, a conniving, controlling, manipulating femme fatale who wants what she gets and gets what she wants!
The film ending appears a little too neat but Director Paul Verhoeven may have seeded a sequel. His thriller BASIC INSTINCT left the audience wondering "Did she or didn't she? " and it is unlikely that Michelle would have tolerated for long the lifestyle exhibited by her 'friends' at the film's conclusion. It's a good suspense story with Verhoeven keeping it moving at a fast pace and Ms. Huppert giving a marvellous performance as the many faceted Michelle.
There is a problem with your e-mail address and we are unable to communicate with you. Please go to My Account to update your email.
Please choose a username to sign your comments. Only letters, digits, dash - or period. Minimum 4 characters.
Your age and sex:
We publish all comments, except abusive, at our discretion.