Review of Caché (2005) by Clayton W — 01 Feb 2011

Michael Haneke's Caché is one of the most enigmatic films I've seen, appropriate considering its title. The film's deliberate pacing will drive impatient viewers mad, and the lack of an explanation may leave viewers feeling cheated, thus missing the beauty of the puzzle. The film consistently defies audience expectations by folding back on itself, providing new clues that do anything but help clarify the overarching mystery, and hiding its only suggestion of a solution in a busy final shot that almost guarantees it won't be spotted. The film functions on a strangely incongruous wavelength: it's a simple story told in a labyrinthine manner, though even that description fails to encompass the fascinating structural and narrative decisions made in the film.

Like Mulholland Drive, I found myself at a loss as Caché's credits rolled, but the film has a more concrete foundation than Lynch's mind-fuck dream-orgy. Haneke places the viewer resolutely at Georges's (Daniel Auteuil) side, trying to decipher the increasingly disturbing events even as the protagonist does. The viewer is instilled with Georges's paranoia, lending each scene a sense of urgency and even fear, despite how mundane the actual action of the sequence might be.

The impossibility of fully comprehending Caché is what makes it such a thrilling film. It's sometimes so unclear and slow as to aggravate, but the beauty of the overall package, as well as the final compelling meeting (if you miss it, make sure you learn about it afterward), makes Haneke's curious thriller an unmissable watch.