Review of Demonlover (2002) by Andy F — 15 Feb 2005

I have passed up [i]Demonlover [/i]on video store shelves every time I've been there for the last year. I didn't do it because I thought it might be horrible, it actually looked interesting and worth watching. The last time I was there I finally made myself pick it up and take it home. Connie Nielsen, who I haven't really seen a lot outside of [i]One Hour Photo[/i] stars in this deceitful tale inside the world of 3-D pornography. The films opens to the haunting music from one of the world's best bands, Sonic Youth. They provide the entire score of the film, and it couldn't suit the feel of the surroundings any better. Sadly though, the music is one of the only great aspects I found in [i]Demonlover[/i].

The characters in this film are so completely horrible to everyone and everything. They don't have a smidgeon of care for anyone, including themselves. The driving piece behind it all is greed as two corporations vie for the rights to Mangatronics 3-D pornography. Nielsen plays who is argueably the most self indulged person of the bunch, which is a pretty high honor to receive in a film like this. She is the boss in charge of gaining Mangatronic rights for her company which is run by a man named Volf. Her business partner is played by Charles Berling, and the young and ambitious woman named Elise who wants in on it all is played brilliantly by Chloe Sevigny.

There are many things the film has going for it but it never quite makes the right turn. The direction from Olivier Assayas is outstanding for the most part, but at times it gets way too carried away and tries to be severely artistic when it should not. That's the biggest problem I had with [i]Demonlover[/i]. There are getting to be way too many films that rely on the effect of shock value over storytelling. I'm not saying there isn't a story being told in this film, it's just that all the twists and turns being made (especially later on) are not more about what's happening other than what's cool or what will grab a certain audience. I have read a few reviews on this film, and after seeing it I totally understand the type of audience it has taken in. If you're apart of the group that somehow finds [i]Demonlover [/i]enthralling and outstanding I'm happy that you didn't waste 2 hours of your time. Unfortunately, I did.