Caché

Austrian writer-director Michael Haneke's moody and unsettling psychological thriller revolves around a seemingly ordinary Parisian family stalked by a mysterious individual who videotapes their day-to-day activities and then delivers the cassettes to their doorstep, along with crude, vaguely threatening drawings. On a basic level, the film generates considerable tension as a sort of reverse Rear Window, in which the voyeur's intentions are anything but benign and the observed parties (father Daniel Auteuil, mother Juliette Binoche, and their young son) are apparently innocent victims. But the picture repeatedly subverts expectations in subtle ways, taking on an even more unnerving tone when a sociopolitical subtext is added to the mix, involving French attitudes towards and relations with African immigrants. Had this ethnic component been added to the script in a cheap, exploitative fashion (read: Hollywood movie), Caché—which translates to “hidden”—might have been a very unsavory film, but here things are not as simple as they might at first appear. While the studiously ambiguous close is likely to frustrate some viewers, the open-endedness adds to the thought-provoking aspects of this disquieting film. Highly recommended. [Note: DVD extras include a 32-minute behind-the-scenes documentary, a 26-minute interview with writer-director Michael Haneke, and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a provocative film.] (F. Swietek)