“Caché” (2005): Whodunit? done Good

Synopsis

In the French mystery thriller “Caché (Hidden)”, we come to learn that Georges (Daniel Auteuil) has done a bad, bad thing. Years ago. While a mere child of six. Yet the repercussions of his egregious misdeeds continue to ripple with menacing waves over his present-day life as a popular TV interviewer and family man. Georges is awash in the deleterious debris.

And he is drowning.

He and his wife, Anne (the lovely and talented veteran actress Juliette Binoche in a searing turn) begin receiving anonymous and disturbing video tapes left at their apartment’s front doorstep. Seemingly recorded from the vantage point of a hidden camera, they present unnerving images of this family living their day-to-day lives. At the same time, alarming and bizarre rudimentary drawings are being clandestinely delivered to the increasingly traumatized couple both at home and at work, as well.

Who is behind this maliciousness by mail? What could they possibly want?

The Good

Superb, well-rounded story line punctuated by equally exceptional acting performances.

The Bad

Could have been about a half hour shorter and every bit as gripping.  The extended shots of a single scene, while purposeful, nevertheless tend to become monotonous after a while.

In defense of the French…in sort of a “backhanded” way

Those French are a curious lot. Leastwise from this American boy’s perspective.

Aloof, arrogant, detached and smug are adjectives that spring to mind.

Yet, to be fair, I also associate the quite enviable characteristics of thoughtful, introspective and intellectual with the folks of France, as well.

Such dichotomy serves but to make the citizens of this country renowned for fine wine and rank cheese all that more curiouser and curiouser.

And all of these indigenous traits are present and accounted for in full and unabashed display in “Caché”.

Mr. Haneke’s Wild Ride

“Caché” Writer and Director Michael Haneke takes us on a sinister and spellbinding ride of revenge, racism and repressed memories, teasing and tantalizing with subtle clues and jarring flashbacks as his story builds inexorably to stunning revelation.

Overall

Or does it really?

The ending here is one wide open to interpretation. I have my own take, and have also researched the speculation of others, as well. One key suggestion: Pay particularly close attention to the opening moments of this final, and ambiguously creepy, static scene Haneke has chosen to leave us with. Do this and you may discover, as did this reviewer, that we are still as far from a definitive conclusion as when we began.

And that this haunting mystery is fated only to continue…

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