Demonlover (2002)

Two corporations compete for illicit 3D manga pornography, sending spies to infiltrate each other's operations.

Director:

Olivier Assayas

Writer:

Olivier Assayas

Stars:

Connie Nielsen, Gina Gershon, Chloë Sevigny

4 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Connie Nielsen	...	Diane de Monx
Charles Berling	...	Hervé Le Millinec
Chloë Sevigny	...	Elise Lipsky
Dominique Reymond	...	Karen
Jean-Baptiste Malartre	...	Henri-Pierre Volf
Gina Gershon	...	Elaine Si Gibril
Edwin Gerard	...	Edward Gomez
Thomas M. Pollard	...	Avocat américain
Abi Sakamoto	...	Kaori - la traductrice
Naoko Yamazaki	...	Eiko
Nao Ohmori	...	Shoji (as Nao Ômori)
Jean-Pierre Gos	...	Verkamp - Contact Diane
Julie Brochen	...	Gina - Amie de Diane
Randall Holden	...	Ray
Alexandre Lachaux	...	Erwan - Broker #1

Storyline

Diane works for a French firm bidding to purchase a Japanese animation outfit. Diane maliciously hatches a plot to take the job of her supervisor Karen. The plan succeeds, but then Diane faces problems when a competing American firm, represented by Elaine, becomes involved. Diane's assistant Elise remains loyal to Karen, and she frustrates Diane's every move. When it comes to light that the one of the concerned parties controls an Internet site which broadcasts actual torture, the plot thickens.

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Plot Keywords:

pornography | black panties | misogyny | rape victim | female female kiss | 

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Genres:

Thriller | Drama | Mystery

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence, sexual content and some language

Details

Official Sites:

Palm Pictures

Country:

France

Language:

English French Japanese

Release Date:

6 November 2002 (France)

Also Known As:

Agente Infiltrada

Filming Locations:

Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, Roissy-en-France, Val-d'Oise, France

Box Office

Budget:

€7,032,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$39,284, 21 September 2003, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$231,756, 25 January 2004

Company Credits

Production Co:

Citizen Films,Cofimage,Elizabeth Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

129 min 117 min (unrated) 115 min (R-rated)

Sound Mix:

DTS-ES Dolby Digital EX

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The prêt-a-porter featured is from a Fred Sathal collection and is credited along the movie and video game extracts featured.

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Goofs

The film confuses the word Manga (which is Japanese comic books). The word the film should have used was Anime (which is Japanese animation).

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Quotes

Hervé Le Millinec: I saw you move. I saw you with Volf.
Diane de Monx: What did you see?
Hervé Le Millinec: How you operated. I admire you.
Diane de Monx: You didn't see anything. No one sees anything. Ever. They watch... But they don't understand.

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Alternate Versions

There are at least three versions of the film:

• the R-rated version
• the unrated director's cut (which has less pixalation and a longer Hellfire club scene)
• the version originally shown at Cannes (assumed to be ca. 10 minutes longer)

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Connections

References The Hellfire Club (1961)

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Soundtracks

Dirge
Written by Tim Holmes and Richard Fearless
Performed by Death In Vegas (as Death in Vegas)

User Reviews

c'mon people, it's NOT the worst film ever

If a movie upsets this many people (check the reviews below), there must be something to it. Perhaps people are reacting to the insidiousness of the world of corporate espionage, pornography, lovelessness, pleasurelessness, etc. on display in every corner of the movie. Although its final 30 minutes or so veer toward incoherence--the meaning of what ultimately happens seems less interesting as a resolution than in (for example) "Mulholland Drive"--it's a cool, controlled, provocative rethinking of the modern techno thriller. It's a far more subtle and nuanced movie than the kind of head trip movies that kids go for these days ("Requiem for a Dream," bleh!), and the Sonic Youth score and cinematography are terrific.

I was originally attracted to the film on the strengths of Assayas' other films--all three I've seen ("Irma Vep", "Late August/Early Sept.", "Les Destinees Sentimentales") excellent and each in its own way unique. His work is eclectic and unpredictable in the best sense, seemingly at ease with big or small productions--in the great tradition of Jonathan Demme or Michael Winterbottom or Louis Malle. This is probably the only one of his films so far that could have attracted an American audience, but the chilliness of its surfaces apparently has scared a few too many away. It's a pity, because the film's definitely worth seeing.