ELLE
SPEC D: Paul Verhoeven. France. 131 min. Sep 9, 5:30 pm, Elgin Sep 10, 9 am, TIFF Bell Lightbox 1. Rating: N
This egregious thriller looks at female empowerment through a profoundly misogynist lens. Isabelle Huppert plays the alpha female CEO of a video game company who gets raped and then responds in ways no woman would recognize. A lazy backstory about her being the child of a mass murderer explains nothing. And given her past, why call the pic Elle, French for “she,” as if the protagonist could be Everywoman?
Huppert is, as usual, gloriously enigmatic, but the skilled filmmaking only makes the thing even more infuriating. Let it be said that all the men are either weak or loathsome, and lesbians aren’t exactly served well, either. Doubtless, defenders will be legion, touting its arty pretensions and “brave” approach to essential issues. Count me out.
