All film genres have their difficulties and obstacles to overcome but there are addition difficulties to creating a thriller. Usually the plots are more textured, layered in such a way that the audience has to pay attention in order to see the layers peel back one by one. Situations for the protagonists have to go from bad to worse keeping the viewers on the edge of their seats. While many of these ingredients are present in the latest film by Olivier Assayas, ‘Boarding Gate’, they just do not blend in the way they should. In a film like this there needs to be a synergy where each part adds to the overall effect. Instead it is more like an orchestra playing a complicated symphony where each of the musicians is doing their job but there is no feeling of cohesiveness provided to the audience. This film strays off course and never manages to get back on track. It is a shame to see so much potential and raw talent go to waste in a movie that just is unable to live up to its promise. In order for a thriller to work successfully it has to keep the audience’s attention but here the movie is too murky to maintain itself. The film sets out to provide a slick international thriller but winds up a muddy and confusing mess.

As with most of the films he is involved with Olivier Assayas both wrote and directed. As a writer he has done better in the past. Pick up ‘Demonlover’ for a much better and well constructed film that showcases his true talent in both fields. In this film the first step off the path to success is splitting the story into two halves. He moves from Paris to Hong Kong which supposedly was to provide an international sense of danger but only disputes the flow of the story and adds too many extraneous characters into the mix. The story has a favorite archetype for both thrillers and film noir flicks; the femme fatale. In this case it is in the person of Sandra (Asia Argento) who is a high end prostitute who specializes in some of the more sadomasochistic oriented practices of her profession. She ostensibly works for her lover/pimp Miles Rennberg (Michael Madsen). He is a high level legitimate businessman in Paris who uses Sandra to engage his clients in bizarre sexual acts provide ample fodder for blackmail and the pillow talk afterwards would yield secrets that would give Miles and edge. This brings a new twist on ‘How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying’. Miles is about to sell out of his business and Sandra wants her cut. She hopes to invest in a nightclub located in Hong Kong to get out of her current line of work. She takes a job running drugs which may be a step up from prostitution in some circles but really is more of a toss up in career paths. This just brings in a whole new gaggle of bad guys after Sandra. In order to Hong Kong she winds up with a married couple, Lester Wang (Carl Ng) and his wife Sue (Kelly Lin). Lester has been a client of Sandra’s so right from the start here this is not a relationship that will provide much help to her. When she gets to Hong Kong the storyline really falls apart as everybody is chasing Sandra, out to kill her for one reason or another. The main problem with the script is Assayas trying to make an ‘artsy’ thriller. While you can have an intelligent film in this genre with plot twists and turns to keep the audience interested it is ultimately a visceral genre. In order to work the plot has to reach into the core of the audience and grab you. Here it is too superficial to reach that depth with the viewers and the result is messy and disorganized.

Assayas does do better on the directorial front. He employs his usual style and flair to give the audience a visually intriguing film. He has a way of following the movements of his actors so that we not only see what they are doing but understand their motivation for that action. There is insight to the way he films the actors that helps to sell the moment. He also has a way to incorporate music into his movies that is stunning. Most films have music queues that usually are either overpowering or left in the background. Assayas uses music to a dramatic effect reinforcing the emotional content of the scene. Even with this level of direction he is not able to pull the individual elements together. He does provide a series of moments and scenes are powerful on their own. In one confrontation between Miles and Sandra there is electricity between them that leaps off the screen. This is a sexually charged moment in the film that rivals such classics as ‘Body Heat’. This is the kind of movie that a trailer can come out better than the film. If you choose the right footage of the film it would appear to be brilliant. Assayas knows how to focus on his actors to get the most out of them physically as well as emotionally. The prime example is his filming of Ms Argento. In real life she has numerous tattoos scattered about her body. Assayas lets the camera drift over them. There are angle wings on her lower stomach; an unblinking eye peers out over her shoulder. Even though it is just part of her job the character of Sandra slides out of her clothing revealing her body art with an unbelievable grace. The film is like a broken sting of pearls; each individual is perfect but they don’t make a necklace.

Asia Argento steals this film which is snot unusual for her. She is the one shining aspect of the film that does not disappoint. Argento has a sensuality that surrounds her like a cloud of smoke. Her voice is low and sultry from a life long habit of cigarettes. Argento has a confidence in her performance that transfers to her performance. This would be a rough role for most actresses but since she has be slashed and stripped in films by her own father there are not many taboos left for her. She is able to give a duality to Sandra. On one hand she is an in control dominatrix who demands attention and obedience. Then Aregento lets the other side come out. This is a lost little girl in too far over here head running for her life. The costar who works best opposite her is Madsen. He is a physically imposing figure commanding the screen. He also is able to show just a hint of a man who built his business empire on dishonest and immoral practices and is now facing loosing everything.

The DVD for the film comes from Magnolia Home Entertainment. They are one of the best sources for little unheard of films bringing the art house into your living room. While this is a flawed film it is worth it for the performances.