Caché (2005)

writ. and dir. Michael Haneke
feat. Daniel Auteuil, Juliette Binoche, Maurice Benichou, Annier Girardot, Bernard Le Coq, Walid Afkir, Lester Makedonsky

Haneke commits fully to his title in this mysterious tale that begins as a who- and whydunit and veers into richer territory, exploring the hidden histories, both recent and distant, that informs people's daily lives.

Georges and Anne (Auteuil and Binoche), a seemingly stable and content upper middle class couple with a teenage son, Pierrot (Makedonsky), grow unsettled upon receiving haunting surveillance videotapes shot from just outside their door. As the tapes accumulate, the threat looms larger despite the absence of any demands or clearer message from the sender. Heightened anxiety leads to heated exchanges with overreactions that hint at other rifts in the relationship, issues that will also remain obscure, other than the suggestion of other secrets.

When a message points Georges to a strange address where he discovers a childhood friend, Majid (Benichou), upon whom Georges, as a young boy, had a life-changing effect, the mystery appears to surface, certain to be revealed. Instead, the story slides sideways and back into Georges past, revealing old conflicts and buried pain. From here, the film takes turns both subtle and sharp, plumbing satisfyingly complicated emotional territory such as the responsibility of a child and the measure of guilt while also overtly avoiding answering questions that seem overdue with regard to the tapes and the one responsible for them. The effects are too great to write off the cause as a mere entry point to the story, leaving a feeling of emptiness with regard to the story. However, perhaps Haneke (a dauntingly insightful filmmaker) intends this sensation as a way to better connect the viewer with Georges who is left with unanswerable questions that won't easily settle.