[Editor's note: Elle and The Handmaiden were shown at the Hop on January 20 and 13, respectively.] My friend turns to me as the credits roll on Paul Verhoeven’s Elle, the French thriller that has been impressing worldwide, and says, “Take a while to process it and then let me know what you thought. I need to know if you’re as confused as I am.” I spent those few minutes of filing out of the cinema to figure out if I had any thoughts to gather. A week earlier, I walked out of the Loew with the same confused dizziness in response to Park Chan-wook’s The Handmaiden. Both films end with a … [Read more...]