Living in Athens, OH, I try my best to see every crucial film to hit theaters. If I had it my way, I would see every blockbuster, documentary, indie, and international art film. Unfortunately, this smaller movie market has me frequently waiting. This is my excuse for coming forward so late with a review for Cache. The film was released in Fall of 2005, and I was not able to access it. Now thanks to the Athens Film Festival, I was able to catch it shortly before its DVD release.

I walked into Cache with an expectation. While the French film has been labeled a "thriller", it is pertinent to understand it is also an art film. Director Michael Haneke is a master of meditative long takes and banning the use of filmic music. I learned this when I saw his previous dogmatic outing Time of the Wolf. So here is the crucial warning: walk into the theater with a strong attention span and an open mind.

Cache opens with a long, stationary take of a townhouse in Paris. It turns out this is a shot within a shot. A talk show host (Daniel Auteuil) and his wife (Juliette Binoche) are watching with concern after discovering that someone has been videotaping their home. More and more similar videotapes appear on their doorstep wrapped in graphic children's drawings. Who is going so far to mess with them? Why are they doing it? Better yet, why are the main characters walking right by the camera and not even noticing the culprit?

I could answer these questions, but that would be a sin. Of course it is also possible that I could not even answer these questions accurately. Haneke creates a mystical thriller packed with ambiguity and style. Every so often he gives the audience long takes that last for minutes. If you are the type that digs the editing style of Michael Bay, then you may wiggle in your seat from discomfort. However, what I got from these takes was a moment to take in every little detail. In a film such as this, it is the little details that truly count during the viewing experience.

If I could go back in time, I think that Cache would make my Top 10 of 2005 list. Without hesitation I will say that it is not for everyone. In fact, it will be better enjoyed on video. Its continuous moments of silence could be disastrous in a movie theater full of agitated popcorn munchers looking for a rush. Cache is translated in English to Hidden, and a hidden, underrated masterpiece is exactly what this picture is.