Cache

Guilt is a funny thing. It affects each of us differently. Some let it eat away at them until it kills them. Others choose to bury it and not deal with the consequences. What if you were forced to deal with guilt? This is the question director Michael Haneke raises in the quietly brilliant Cache.

Georges and Anne Laurent (Daniel Auteuil and Juliette Binoche) are a successful married couple. They live in a stylish house and have a son named Pierrot. One day a videotape appears on their doorstep. They watch the video together; it’s a static shot of their house taken from across the street. Someone is watching them. The next day another tape arrives with a crude child-like drawing attached. A post card with another drawing greets Georges at work. At home, Anne starts getting strange phone calls. Fear quickly envelopes the Laurent family.

The tapes and drawings keep coming. The police offer no assistance. Georges begins to suspect someone from his past. Nightmares reveal a bloody boy and a vague memory from Georges childhood. He begins to investigate his suspicions but refuses to tell Anne. A deeper rift threatens their already icy relationship. Guilt consumes Georges as he comes face-to-face with the person he thinks is responsible for terrorizing his family.

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Cache means “hidden.” Perfect because a lot is hidden in this film. Haneke crafts an uneasy story filled with ambiguity. He uses no music and employs long shots and long takes, eschewing manipulation of any sort. He traps us in the frame and forces us to look; not just at the seen, but more importantly, the unseen. Cache requires you to observe carefully and draw your own conclusions. If you love a challenge at the movies, this is a must see.

The trailer for Cache:

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