Olga’s Notes:

Note1: In my Intro, I have mentioned that every movie on this list will be fun to watch. Having just watched “Elle”, I feel that I need to reconsider this statement. Because, personally, watching this film in its entirety was as much fun as swimming amongst corpses.

Note2: “Elle” opens with a rape scene. Other scenes/themes include (in no particular order):

a)    death of a parent (both, in fact),

b)    adultery,

c)    a matter of fact disclosure of a terrible deed over a dinner in a fancy restaurant,

d)    mass murder,

e)     normal murder,

f)     gigolos,

g)    hentai-style video games,

h)    Simone de Beauvoir,

i)      discreet charm of under-the-table penis fondling,

j)      French people dancing to ‘Lust for Life’,

k)      revenge,

l)     Catholic guilt,

m)    a woman who gets off on her rapist’s evil ways.

Note3: See? “Elle” proved to be a tough cookie for me to chew through. So, even though the purpose of this list is not to warn or scorn, I have to say that I don’t like this story, I don’t get this story, and it certainly doesn’t feel true to me.

Helena’s Notes:

Note1: What I don’t get is women. Especially French women. Except for Betty Blue. And look what happened to her.

Note2: This film clearly demonstrates that religion is the root of all evil. Which is by the by; the main thing is, it made me wonder if I’d even exist if it weren’t for the religious nutters who went and started the civil war Olga kind of mentioned when she wrote that book about me. It makes me SO angry to even think that she was only using me to justify writing another bloody anti-war book. The very idea, it makes me sick in my stomach, it totally does.

Note3: They played Iggy Pop’s ‘Lust for Life’ at least twice during the movie. Which made me happy. And also woke me up.