From the moment Sandra (Asia Argento) slinks, literally, into Miles’ (Michael Madsen) overly bright, glassed office somewhere in or near the not Eiffel Tower Paris, we know he and perhaps we are in deep trouble. In this role, and others, Ms. Argento plays the kind of character who we’re supposed to think are sexy -- all pouty lip-biting and well...rubbing her privates... --- and dangerous with a capital D. At the same time she’s trashy, off putting even repellent. You know the story...not only can you not look away, you want to jump right into the screen with her.
But her role her is more than just the ultimate tease, although we never do see anything like a satisfying sex scene. I guess that’s what SM is all about and that’s exactly where Olivier Assayas says his story came from. Apparently a French financier named Eduard Stern was murdered during an SM session. So in our session, Assayas tantalizes and then abruptly stops the action or else so under lights the scene that it’s literally too dark to see anything. But this story is emphatically not only about sexual obsession or even mostly about it. At about the halfway way point the narrative, the tone, the setting and even the lighting take an abrupt turn and accelerate down the thriller highway.
Now we accompany Sandra as she races through the streets, alleys and high-rises of Hong Kong trying to save herself. She may be dangerous, but that longing we had for her turns out to be real sympathy for her plight. She isn’t bad...well she is...but we un-derstand, we have to, we’re in her shoes.
My only problem with this film was the scenes between Madsen and Argento which were overly long. I got it it’s the S and we’re the M. Thus we suffer through two ex-tended cat and mouse sessions of verbal abuse, teasing and torture, including some unseemly business with a belt around the neck. But it does indeed take off in the sec-ond half, and as narrative dictates, around page 61 we and she move from location to location, not sure of where it will all end up. Turns out by the end it’s a standard who done it and we’ve probably figured it out since it was telegraphed in the beginning, but it still doesn’t erase the edge of the seat, grimy feeling that has accumulated on us. And the cinematographic choices made by York Le Saux shift to match each twist and turn of the narrative. From the high key overly bright offices to deep, dark blues of the warehouse where Sandra works for her lover Lester (Carl Ng) to finally the tropical and chaotic density of Hong Kong, this film is nothing less than gorgeous to look at. Doesn’t leave a lasting sense of terror but it is a scary, roller coaster ride which is oddly sensuous and not at all romantic.
Boarding Gate
opening nationwide March 28, 2008.
Written and directed by Olivier Assayas, produced by Francois Margolin, cinematogra-phy by York Le Saux. Released by Magnet Releasing. Running time: 93 minutes.
Cast: Asia Argento (Sandra), Michael Madsen (Miles), Carl Ng (Lester), Kelly Lin (Sue), Joana Preiss (Lisa), Alex Descas (Andrew), Kim Gordon (Kay).
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