"Elle" is a new psychological thriller from Dutch master
Paul Verhoeven. In his Hollywood days, the director was responsable for ultra-violent masterpieces such as
"RoboCop",
"Total Recall" and
"Starship Troopers", as well as the erotic thriller
"Basic Instinct". After the not-so-great
"Hollow Man" in 2000, Verhoeven left Hollywood and his next film, the BAFTA-nominated
"Zwartboek", came after a six-year hiatus. Now, after another 10 dry years, the director returns with a very different, but equally provocative film. It's also his first French language film.
Isabelle Huppert stars as the successful head of a video game company, who is ruthless both in business and her love life. When she is raped in her own home by a masked assailant, her life spirals out of control as she plots revenge and enters a dangerous game with her suspected attacker.
Laurent Lafitte, Anne Consigny, Christian Berkel, Jonas Bloquet, Virginie Efira and
Charles Berling co-star.
The film has been generously rewarded with numerous awards, including two Golden Globes for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Actress (Drama), and the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Last year, Verhoeven was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. It missed out on the BAFTA awards this year, because the film was not yet released in the U.K., so it will probably receive its due recognition next year.
The biggest snub, however came from the Academy Awards. The film was selected as the French entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 89th Academy Awards, but it didn't make the shortlist. It is now known as "one of the greatest Oscar Foreign Language Film Snubs of all-time."
"Elle" opened in limited release on November 11, 2016 in the U.S. and will be released in the U.K. on March 10th.
Check out the trailers, clips, images and posters after the jump.
