Subtitle European Film Festival: Dark, disturbing and utterly compelling - Elle

Elle, Paul Verhoeven's first French language film, is both dark and disturbing and has a bittersweet post feminist undertone throughout.
The film opens with a brutal rape - a masked man violates the main character, Michele, played powerfully by Isabelle Huppert (who received an Oscar nomination for her performance).
She sweeps up the shattered fragments of glass and soaks in a bath when a single blob of blood surfaces in the foam - a chilling reminder of the heinous act that was perpetrated against her. Moments later she is drinking wine and ordering food.
Michele is fearless and unflinching and the rape appears to have had somewhat of a minimal effect on her and she goes about her daily life acting as normal.
She refuses to report the crime to the police citing 'never again'. Instead she wilfully lives and begins  her own investigation into who is responsible for the evil act thrust on her.

The male characters are for the most part pathetic and weak and there is an overtly theme of sexual violence throughout.
Elle makes the viewer uncomfortable in parts and is undoubtedly compelling and controversial.

Elle will be screened this evening at Set Theatre this evening (Thursday) at 9pm, at Cleeres Theatre on Friday at 6.30pm and at The Watergate Theatre at 9pm on Saturday. 

For more see www.subtitlefest.com