Demonlover.com (2002)

Demonlover.com: Directed by Olivier Assayas. With Connie Nielsen, Charles Berling, Chloë Sevigny, Dominique Reymond. A French corporation goes head-to-head with an American web media company for the rights to a 3-D manga pornography studio, resulting in a power struggle that culminates in violence and espionage.

“Itu0026#39;s rather sad to watch a talented filmmaker – which French director Olivier Assayaz without a doubt is – taking an original idea and then strangling it with his own hands. Demonlover starts out great – like a 70u0026#39;s spy film, only set in the world of adult Internet sites, which makes the film so much more exciting. And it looks very good, too – as if it takes place in some kind of futuristic sterile world full of bright but cold colours. But in the second half the movie takes a turn towards Lost Highway territory and in the end finds itself exactly where it headed – nowhere. Instead of giving us, viewers, a satisfying resolution of a conflict, the director drags us down the blind alley and shoots us – as well as his own film – in the back. Still, Demonlover has enough to offer to make it worth watching (like a terrific score by Sonic Youth) at least once. Itu0026#39;s only the fact that it could be truly great instead of just worth watching, that bothers me”