A successful business woman is used to being in control but one day her life changes when she is raped. She enters into a game of cat as she attempts to get her life back on track.
From acclaimed director Paul Verhoeven (Basic Instinct, Total Recall), Elle follows a successful computer games entrepreneur Michèle (Isabelle Huppert) as she deals with a traumatic ordeal following an attack and rape in her own home.
As the story delves deeper, it becomes apparent she is also dealing with events from her past, mainly from a psychotic father and the lack of support she received as a child. The attack seems to be a turning point, analysing her life and relationships with friends, family and lovers.
Refusing to be a victim and seeming empowered from her brutal attack, she continues her work on a sexualised and explicit computer game in a bid to win a contract with a software publisher.
Soon Michèle receives obscene texts and an email depicting her within the sexualised computer game. Suspecting the attacker is someone she knows, Michèle sets out to discover the identity of the attacker and have vengeance.
There are some gritty and uncomfortable moments right from the first scene showing the assault in her home. These scenes are distressing and may shock, however are not gratuitous.
Music and cinematography tie in nicely with nothing feeling out of place and Isabelle Huppert offers an outstanding performance.
The story is well written and is certainty different to the standard thriller format.
Elle will resonate in your mind afterwards… conflicted, messed up and unique… but in a good way.
Available on digital download from 3rd July 2017 and on Blu-Ray and DVD 10th July 2017.
