The magnificent Isabelle Huppert brings gravitas and credibility to Paul Verhoeven’s controversial and darkly comedian revenge thriller,which resonates all the more after recent Hollywood revelationsSee the US cut of this listSee the rest of the UK countdownMore on the best culture of 2017In March 2017, Paul Verhoeven’s first proper film in a decade opened to widespread critical acclaim and a light dusting of controversy. That was before Harvey Weinstein’s exposure as a sexual predator and the ongoing conversation approximately the film industry’s rape culture, or on set and on screen. Would this deeply disquieting psycho-thriller be received differently if it came out nowadays? One can only imagine Elle’s heroine greeting each of Hollywood’s subsequent revelations with an insouciant gallic shrug. A world in which all men are potential rapists was always the world she lived in. Related: Elle review startlingly strange rape-revenge black comedy Continue reading...
Source: guardian.co.uk