Elle: the entertainment value of Paul Verhoeven’s film comes not from the suspense, the perverse mood, subversive irony or the somewhat loose plot, but from watching the main character navigate through her life in general. The film would be nowhere near this interesting if not for the superb acting of Isabelle Huppert; her character is not likeable (except for what happens to her), but very engaging, and Huppert walks that tight road beautifully. The rest of the cast is solid. The film is well-put together, with a nicely chosen main location, slickly captured by Stéphane Fontaine.