Elle - Interview with Director Paul Verhoeven
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Isabelle Huppert is mesmerizing in Elle, a psychological thriller by Dutch director Paul Verhoeven (Basic Instinct) who lives up to his reputation for creating powerful, perverse fare about women who are dangerous or in danger. The film is France’s 2017 Oscar submission for the foreign-language category.
Verhoeven’s first film in the French language, it tells the story of Michèle Huppert) who, as head of a leading video game company, brings the same ruthless attitude to her love life as to her business. But that changes after she’s assaulted in her home by an unknown assailant. When Michèle tracks down the man, they are both drawn into a real-life game – one that may, at any moment, spiral out of control.
Playing the men (some of them suspects) in her life are Laurent Lafitte, Charles Berling, Christian Berkel and Jonas Bloquet. Script is by David Birke, based on the 2012 novel Oh… by Philippe Djian. The film played In Competition at Cannes 2016 and was also shown at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.
The film is in French with English subtitles.
I spoke with Paul Verhoeven about working on this film and the controversy that surrounds many of his movies. Please click the below.