Elle
The spine-chilling psychological thriller behind Paul Verhoeven's Oscar-nominated film
Michèle seems indestructible. Head of a leading video game company, she brings the same ruthless attitude to her love life as to business, but when she is attacked in her home by an unknown assailant, her life changes forever. Michèle has almost no recollection of her attacker but she senses his presence – he is never far away – and this uncanny feeling triggers a whirlwind of events and memories. She begins to fear she is losing her grip on a life already complicated by a demanding job, an ex-husband, a jealous lover and a son trapped in a relationship with his girlfriend pregnant by another man.
Hardened by the consequences of her father’s violent past, Michèle – fiercely independent and unsentimental – refuses to be reduced to a victim. When her rapist begins taunting her with messages, she takes measures to protect herself until she discovers his identity.
Philippe Djian is the award-winning author of more than twenty novels, including the best seller Betty Blue. Elle is the fifth of his novels to be adapted for the screen. Published in French under its original title “Oh... ,” this best-selling novel received the 2012 Prix Interallié. He lives in Biarritz, France.
Michael Katims is a Brooklyn-born screenwriter and translator. He worked with Roman Polanski to bring Yasmina Reza’s play to the big screen in Carnage, and with Jacques Perrin on the US version of Oceans.