Caché (2005)

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I always wanted to be the protector in the relationship, like a white knight that just gets everything taken care of without my significant other needing to worry. Unfortunately, while women I've dated (and my wife) may occasionally want that, it's more important to have a relationship with full disclosure. I can't do everything alone and, while I still occasionally have trouble breaking bad news to my wife, it's a necessity to be upfront and honest about everything: finances, feelings, and history. If something were to happen to me, she needs to know where money goes, what bills are, who I trust, etc. Wouldn't you rather have a partner standing beside you who knows how you think, how you feel, and where you've come from?


Michael Haneke's psychological thriller Caché (Hidden) dives into a marriage that slowly erodes, thanks to a mysterious third party. Georges Laurent (Daniel Auteuil) is a TV host who lives a comfortable life with his wife Anne (Juliette Binoche) and son (Lester Makedonsky). One day, with no explanation, they receive a bag on their doorstep with a VHS tape inside. On the tape is a steady camera shot of the front of their home, spanning an extended time frame. They assume it's a prank, until tapes keep arriving and eventually are packaged with notes that have nothing more than childlike drawings on them that depict a person bleeding out of the mouth.

Even worse, eventually these tapes begin to get more personal, depicting Georges's childhood home, then take them into an apartment building they don't recognize. They go to the police, who claim they can't take any action, since it's not a direct threat. Upon hearing this, Georges decides to take matters into his own hands and begins to investigate where these deliveries are coming from, eventually arriving at a personal crossroads, forcing him to confront his past transgressions and possibly change how his family sees him for years to come.

Haneke's film is a brilliant take on paranoia in the 21st century, where our lives have become completely public, especially for public figures. But, most important is the film's focus on personal honesty and the need for your loved ones to see you as a whole person, as opposed to bits and pieces, based on your preference. Georges and Anne appear to have a happy marriage, filled with kind conversation, good jobs, and good friends. Slowly and methodically, these tapes begin to uncover buried issues between the two.

Georges is used to being in control of his job, his life, and his wife and son. When he begins holding back information from Anne, she begins to lash out. In one exchange, he has a hunch who these tapes are coming from. But, since it may open up deep wounds he refuses to allow her to see, he won't divulge who the possible perpetrator may be, in an effort to keep his background clean.

Even worse, their son doesn't really trust either of them and would rather just disappear. What we see is a man too proud to allow his wife into his personal life, a woman too oblivious to understand how others view her actions, and a son who isn't made aware of anything, even when it seems their lives may be in danger.

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Haneke has made a number of fascinating films (in various languages), a number of them focusing on how a family responds in the face of tragedy and danger. In The Seventh Continent, he explores a family who has reached a breaking point in their dull, listless lives and decides to destroy their belongings and themselves (including their daughter, who isn't exactly a willing party). In Funny Games, he tells a story about a family being held hostage by psychopaths and their reactions under duress as these men force them to play games for their amusement. Here, he looks at the family as a broken unit, being torn apart at the seams by lies, secrecy, and a refusal to trust that acceptance is a two-way street.

Auteuil plays Georges as a bewildered control freak - a quiet man who handles his surroundings and the people he deals with through calm demeanor and stoic confidence. When these tapes begin to arrive, his confidence turns into arrogance and fear, which eventually becomes anger and vengeance. Georges eventually faces the realization that, not only must he protect his family from this mystery stalker, but he must also protect his family from the truth about his past and how it may all be connected. In a way, Georges feels it's more important to protect his public image than his own family.

Meanwhile, at a time when she can't even trust her own husband, Anne begins to regress into time with a friend, which, on the surface, can be easily misunderstood, specifically by her son. Binoche plays Anne convincingly as a woman who needs to see her friends and family on the same ground as her. She doesn't wish to be treated like a second class citizen by her husband, but her fear that he may not be the man she thought drives a wedge in between them. She is a believer in full disclosure - she tells her friends about their stalker, she has no problem being honest and up front. When her husband starts pulling information back, she sees it as the ultimate sin - a lack of respect for her and what she can offer in terms of support and insight.

So, during this Halloween season, while many watched slasher films and gory horror movies, I watched this intense psychological French drama about a family being ravaged by their own pride and dishonesty. The tapes may have put the key in the ignition, but the engine would never kick on if Georges and Anne were completely open with one another. The fear of your family being destroyed from the inside is a far more terrifying one than a man with an axe tracking you down. It's an innate fear we all have; it's realistic and could happen to anyone. Whether or not we want to pretend we've created a perfect little doll house of suburban bliss, the second cracks show, that foundation could be shattered. Sometimes, the emotional protection and shelter we want to provide for our loved ones becomes a prison, rather than a safe house.

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