DVD Review: Dreamlover (B+)

Demonlover (2002)
Directed by Olivier Assayas
Starring Connie Nielsen, Charles Berling, Chloe Sevigny and Gina Gershon
MPAA: R
Grade: B+
Review by Scott Standish

I came into Demonlover cold, and based on the title, I expected it to have monsters running around, maybe a vampire or two, and lots of weird adult situations. Well two out of three ain't bad.

Demonlover is one of those crazy corporate espionage thrillers, and I guess that somewhere deep in this techno fueled extravaganza there is a message about our new corporate global society. But more importantly, this is a kick ass art film that features stunning performances. Diane de Monx (Connie Nielsen) is a successful executive at Volfgroup, a conglomerate that is attempting a takeover of the leading 3-D manga porn company. Diane is working to knock their competitor (Mangatronics) out of the business, but soon it is revealed that she is actually working as a spy, intent on stealing the media company's secrets.

Directed by Olivier Assayas, Demonlover has a fantastic look and pace, reminiscent of Mulholland Drive and David Finchers underrated The Game. Despite its brilliant cinematography and soundtrack (music by Sonic Youth) Demonlover wisely sticks to the characters and their emotions - not the and therefore it is pretty damn mesmerizing. Look for excellent supporting performances by Chloe Sevigny and Gina Gershon.

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