Review of Caché (2005) by Ryan M — 27 Nov 2009

I'm not the biggest fan of thrillers, I think replay value has something to do with it: After you see a film and know when the thrills are coming, the thrill factor is removed, and you have to examine how well the film is made, the acting and all that jazz. For instance, I thought "The Wages Of Fear" is possibly the most gut-wrenching film I've seen, but on the second viewing, I never felt the same sensation of nerve-shredding tension I did the first time. But I didn't mind that, because it let me take a look at the characters and the anti-American themes, in a way it made me appreciate the film more. A film that rests on its thrills will fall to pieces on the second viewing, it needs to be entertaining, interesting or confusing to make you come back for more. Michael Haneke's "Cache" is a pretty good blend of all 3.

It starts off with a normal looking shot of a house in an urban area, the tiny credits all appear onscreen, but still allowing you to see this house, somebody walks by, somebody rides their bike past it, once person leaves it, a car drives by. Suddenly, a couple begin talking about the picture, then the picture rewinds back to catch a person walking towards the camera. This is a video of a house, the people talking own that house, they've been sent a video to let them know that they are being watched.

This opens a can of worms that sends husband George (very well performed by Daniel Auteuil) and wife Anne (Juliette Binoche who is just as good) into a spiral of paranoia and guilt. But as always, there's plenty more under the surface.

On the surface, you will find yourself sucked into the intriguing storyline as the suspense and paranoia builds. Digging deeper, you will find a society of upper class individuals who prefer to remain isolated than talk about their problems (this idea gets mentioned far more often than the more subtle themes approached in the film, and drops it down a teeny bit in my books). With each individual, the fear of something coming from the past to haunt us is something anyone can relate to, not to mention the thought of lying to protect someone. Dig a little deeper, and you'll find a really good political comment on the relationship between French and Algerians after the Algerian Revolution ("The Battle Of Algiers" is an outstanding film on this part of history), the raw feeling that still lingers and the surprising animosity over it.

"Cache" may not have all the answers people are looking for, but this is one film that will please the intellectuals who like some thoughts with their thrills, and it might even satisfy the people who just want some fun. Just don't expect to be spoon-fed everything.