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By
WAYNE KLEIN
"Cache" is a foreign
thriller in the best tradition of Hitchcock.
Georges (Daniel Auteuil) and Anne (Juliette
Binchoe)have the perfect life until a series of
tapes begin showing up on their doorstep in
plastic bags. The tapes are uninterrupted shots of
the front of their house, a farmhouse where
Georges grew up and other areas where they have
visited and/or lived previously. Georges goes to
the police but discovers that these pranks aren't
against the law even if they are they are a form
of stalking. The title really tells you more about
the film in some respects than the film
itself--what's most important is what is "hidden"
or kept from the audience by the director and
Georges himself once he begins to piece together
the story for the audience.
Unsettled and without anywhere to turn for help
Georges decides to take matters into his own hands
in effect changing their life forever. I should
warn you that this isn't a traditional thriller
with all the mystery solved and everything neatly
tied up in the end. Its been said by others that
there are plenty of clues that show the heart of
this mystery but I believe the mystery itself
(like that in "Vertigo" or "Rear Window" both
films very much comparable in that respect)the
"McGuffin" as Hitchcock called it isn't as
important as the changes the characters go through
because of the mystery that drives the film.
Haneke probably doesn't know or care what the real
reason is just that it changes the characters in
unexpected revealing ways. So don't go into this
film expecting an easy resolution--there isn't
one. Haneke's film is more about the journey that
Georges and Anne take than the destination itself.
"Cache" demands the viewer's attention without a
promise of a pay off. Director Michael Haneke
makes us, in many respects, both identify with the
stalker and Georges & Anne; we are deeply
unsettled by this mystery but we also observe it
much as the person taking the videotapes on the
outside watching things coldly and with
calculation. The most important element revealed
in "Cache" is not the identify or the reason for
this strange form of stalking but the quality of
the person being observed. The reaction to these
strange videos reveals far more about the
character of Georges and Anne than anything else.
It reveals who they are underneath their veneer of
civility and the more we learn that we truly don't
knew these characters as they present themselves
to each other and us.
The film looks nearly flawless in its presentation
on DVD. Colors accurate throughout and I didn't
detect any hints of compression artifacts. Shot on
digital video the movie looks extremely good. The
5.0 soundtrack sounds quite good using the format
to good effect even though this isn't an action
movie but is more dialogue driven.
The extras for those that are interested include a
1/2-hour interview with the director, a standard
"making of" featurette and a collection of
trailers for other Sony releases. I understand
there's a two-disc release that was came out in
France. It's a pity that we didn't get all of
those supplements in the United States.
This unusual film (in French with English
subtitles)won't be for everyone. If you want your
mysteries all solved like in an Agatha Christie
novel or Sue Grafton book than this isn't the film
for you. If you like films that present themselves
as a puzzle with many possible outcomes than
"Cache" might be something you'll enjoy. |
