Elles - B

Rated NC-17, 92 minutes
In French with English subtitles

Binoche is stunning in the provocative drama "Elles"

"Elles" the provocative, stirring new European film starring Oscar-winner Juliette Binoche that will surely make waves. Anne (Binoche) is a Parisian jounalist doing a story for the French Elle magazine about two young female student prostitutes from very different backgrounds. There's the ambitious Alicja (Joanna Kulig), whose studying economics, and prep student Charlotte (Anaïs Demoustier), who desires to leave her modest middle class background. Where Anne is expecting misery and distress, she discovers freedom, pride, and empowerment. As Anne’s professional curiosity in the two liberated women becomes personal, she starts to question her own sexuality. Director Malgorzata Szumowska's film is finely acted, fascinating drama heavy with feminist themes; it's sort of a European-based, older female version of "Shame" ripe with sexuality. Binoche's emotional evolution throughout the film is the best thing about the film; since her Oscar win in 1996 for "The English Patient," she continues to deliver sublime performances, and as of late mostly in foreign film, but she is steadily becoming one of film's best character actresses. Szumowka's film fails to effectively deliver most of its heady feminist messages, but all the actresses deliver such great performances you may not care. "Elles," filled enough sexual images and nudity that certainly earns its NC-17 rating and it isn't for everyone, but it's worth seeing for a stunning performance from Binoche in what will be one of the year's most controversial films.