The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things

This package falls somewhat flat. The extras are clearly engineered to be of interest to serious fans, but fail to perform; indeed, rather than engage with any of the issues raised, there is a clear - presumably unintentional - strategy of avoidance.

First up is an interview with the director/star. Slouched appealingly on a sofa in jeans and sweatshirt, Asia Argento looks her coltish best, all pout, sultry accent and glossy hair, every inch the indie queen. The technique of flashing the questions up as title screens is a definite winner, avoiding as it does the pitfalls of trying to edit a fairly meandering interview into a series of effective sound bites. The problem is more with the questions themselves - and with her answers.

We are dealing here with a difficult and controversial piece of work. Yet rather than get to the heart of issues, like portraying child abuse and drug culture on film, we get to hear how hard it was for Argento to play the character of Sarah, and the difficulties of directing oneself. Unquestionably interesting as these insights are, they pale in comparison to some of the other problems raised by the film's rather unsettling content. The questions are interesting at best, fluffy at worst, but only skim the surface of what could be a remarkable opportunity. It seems that the interviewer is treating Argento with kid gloves, showing respect, nay, reverence for the difficult process she's been through. Which is fair enough, but would be well tempered by the asking of a few more difficult questions.

The LeRoy interview, on the other hand, is a minefield for conspiracy theorists. For those not in the know, this kudos-winning author bases his work on his own horrific experiences of childhood abuse (at the hands of his mother) and his life as a drug-taking transexual prostitute. Yet there has of late been a growing school of thought, both in the media and among fans, that LeRoy, far from being the waifish, otherworldly victim we've come to expect, is in fact a 40-something female rock singer. Or a useful name for a collective of writers. Or authors Dennis Cooper, or Mary Gaitskill. Or even Gus van Sant, slated to film his earlier novel Sarah. While the content of this interview is fairly run-of-the-mill, and again fairly reverent, the voice that emanates from under LeRoy's trademark wig, hat and shades sounds very much like a woman's to me. It is fascinating to be able to watch such an elusive character on screen.

Perhaps most interesting in the interviews, especially in terms of LeRoy's vague aura of literary hoax, is the uncanny - or suspicious, depending on your point of view - way that the participants' answers match. They are asked the same questions, in itself a useful technique for getting more complete perspectives on the film, and give almost identical answers. They are, in fact, so similar that one is led to believe they are either rehearsed that way with the intention of being spotted - in which case read postmodern pranksterism - or LeRoy and Argento really do have a mysterious understanding of each other.

The extras on offer here whet the appetite, but fail to give a much deeper understanding of the film's creation, or intentions. While clearly created to please the palates of LeRoy devotees, they fail to go hard, or far enough. The trailer, added as a bonus, and Tartan showreel serve only as a pointer to how bare this package really is.