Elles

Elles is a serious look at a specific aspect of modern day romantic life in the age of the internet and cellphones. Juliette Binoche stars as a writer for Elle magazine researching (she thinks) an article on young college-age women who offer their services to men in order to obtain the money they need to live as something better than a starving student. Binoche's character starts out aloof and almost sneering, with the stereotypical attitude the general public has towards these women, but as she gets to know them better she gets drawn to them and into their world, letting down her journalist's guard. What elevates Elles far above a mere fictionalized documentary movie is when Binoche's character realizes that she is already part of this world. Aside from one scene in which a character gets assaulted (which is most likely a fantasy, although it is not entirely clear), there are no real victims or perpetrators in Elles. It is just what consenting adults do to satisfy their needs and survive the stresses of modern day life.The centerpiece of Elles by far is Juliette Binoche's character, and she gives a star performance. Her character is not terribly attractive, and her face often shows the stresses of the life she leads as a busy working mom, but that is as it should be. She is most appealing when she lets her hair down by getting tipsy with one of her interview subjects, and that scene is a pure joy. The two college students, played by Anais Demoustier and Joanna Kulig, are near opposites in personality, body type and hair color, but each actress gives an intimately revealing portrayal. The men and boys in Elles have much more minor roles, but are well played. The casting and acting are spot-on, and speak to the care with which Elles was obviously made. If this film ever gets remade as an American film with American actors, I doubt it will be anywhere near as good.The only thing that prevents me from giving Elles five stars is that it tries to do a bit much in a short amount of time. There are many scenes and many significant events which rush forward to an ultimately satisfying conclusion. I feel the film could have benefited from a slightly more languorous pace, which would have allowed time to more fully explore everything that happens.Elles is highly recommended for adults who aren't afraid to look behind the facade.

Whatever the implications and motivations are, Elles—the female form of "they" in French—doesn't spell them out, preferring to let us draw our own conclusions. The reductive suggestion that all women are whores and all men essentially johns certainly plays in here, but the film is more complicated than that, recognizing that sex itself is complicated, a once-simple evolutionary imperative that's now tangled up in the web of human consciousness. In its non-procreative form, it's ideally a mutual expression of love, but the film portrays its darker side as a commodity to be bought and sold. A power to wield. A source of frustration and a vessel for misplaced desire. This might be nothing new, but Małgorzata Szumowska's provocative treatment of the topic makes Elles worthwhile, and something more than just a showpiece—which it also is—for Juliet Binoche's significant acting abilities.

It seems like Ms. Binoche is receiving fewer roles that are of an interesting subject matter. But she still peaks my interest, because I keep hoping she is actually challenged by her movie career field. She's beautiful women that has depth. This role did not fully challenge her, and allow for more exposure of skin. I'm a fan as you can tell, I hope to see her in future films. Foreign movie stars are becoming more, popular once again.

I think the film did a good job dramatizing the disconnect between men and women and their need for play, adventure, danger, exploration, vitality in their relationships - in short everything that older marriages don't offer to the men and women who inhabit them. Juliette Binoche is always a joy to watch in any film, and the young prostitutes deliver powerful performances as well.

The movie was ok, but I thought it would be much better, the acting was ok alsomaybe some people would really love this movie. If the movie push the evenlope just a littlebit more it would have been a much better movie. The movie I thought it would be like was Q, and Now and Later.great movie.

A coming of age movie for french ladies of the night and day. Not really any unique twists of plot or academy award winning performances for the best organism. But, if you haven't been to Paris in the spring, summer, fall, etc., this is worth watching if you don't have anything else to do.

She's courageous not because of the masturbation scene, obviously, this anyone can do nowadays, no more courage than to brush one's teeth on screen.Binoche is courageous because she's not afraid to appear on screen almost naked, and act frankly, darkly her own age.This film is not great, but it's well shot, serious and not moralistic.Good movie, 4 stars.

Somehow french films usually do not have a happy ending no matter what. They are more inclined to be about a reality in their society and life in general. They usually expose the more sordid and sad aspects of their society . Great acting and good subject to expose. Juliette Binoche as usual is a great actress.

very poor movie the story is very poor.

wowowでラストシーンだけ見てしまい、なんだか、とても気になり、Amazonさんで予約購入〜送料込みでほぼ3000円 ラストシーンがなんとも言えず、でしたが、はじまりから終わりまでは・・・ん〜ちょっとね〜 難解なフランス映画的な、日記風だけど、ごちゃごちゃしてて、いったい何日間の展開かよくわからない。そして、いつから、主人公に変化が?も今一つ理解出来ず。若い女性のおっぱいにはちょっと、びっくりしましたけどね〜 日本の援助交際の方が激しいのでは?的でした。一回見て、TUTAYA売却。200円なり・・・レンタルで十分。

A French/Polish production that takes a relatively unsensational view of prostitution; when the movie was made it had come to light that many students in France had funded their studies through prostitution – so bad was the support system for further education; this was among a number of movies to take this as a theme.Juliette Binoche plays a journalist for “Elle” magazine writing a piece on the subject based on the interviews she has with two young women – one French, the other Polish – who took this route; it makes Binoche`s character consider her own life, as she discovers the women are very different from what she was expecting.A film that deals with sexual themes – a bit over-long, but shot in a semi-documentary style and reasonably serious in it's intentions.The standard UK DVD release from Artificial Eye has a short interview with the director as the only extra; it is of course a French/Polish language film with English subtitles.

Slow and unexceptionable movie

Unwatched