The Logan Affair-The Kate Logan Affair (2010)

Directed by: Noël Mitrani | 90 minutes | thriller | Actors: Alexis Bledel, Laurent Lucas, Noémi Godin-Vigneau, Serge Houde, Mike Paterson, Ricky Mabe, Alan Fawcett, Bruce Dinsmore, Cory Fantie, Martin Thibaudeau, Kate Drummond, Anie Pascale, Cecile Cristobal, David Pryde, Krista Marchand

After years of playing the intelligent, sweet and sweet Rory Gilmore in the television series “The Gilmore Girls” we haven’t heard much from Alexis Bledel. Except for a role in ‘Sin City’ and playing Lena’s character twice in the ‘Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants’ films, Bledel has not really taken the spotlight anymore. Now you can see her starring in ‘The Logan Affair’.

It’s funny to see actress Alexis Bledel in a completely different role than her usual portrayals as ‘good girl’. Unfortunately for Bledel, ‘The Logan Affair’ is not a feature film with which she scores highly. Where Bledel came across as natural as the characters Rory or Lena, you can’t detect any of this in her portrayal as Kate Logan. It’s a shame, but it doesn’t work in her favor that the story of this feature film is paper thin. The tension is thus far to seek.

Young Kate Logan has not been working very long as a policewoman. While visiting a convenience store, she sees Frenchman Benoit Gando just walking out the door. Because Benoit looks very much like a wanted serial rapist, she cuffs him. But when Kate looks at his passport, she realizes she’s made a complete mistake and apologizes to him. Benoit responds with understanding and then makes his way to a conference for which he is in Canada. The incident is bothering Kate, she’s afraid this mistake could cost her job. The policewoman visits Benoit at his motel in the evening and asks him if he would like a drink at her expense. The Frenchman accepts the offer, with far-reaching consequences…

You subtly learn that Kate’s character isn’t as sweet as she seems at first glance. But filmmaker and scriptwriter Noël Mitrani fails to properly elaborate on the background of this young policewoman. A missed opportunity, because with this Mitrani could have taken the character Kate Logan out of the one-dimensional corner. The policewoman now remains both superficial and enigmatic. In addition, Noël Mitrani could have given the identity swap an even bigger role in the story to give more momentum to Kate’s mistake. Because it now remains abstract in the sense of “oh, you look like…”.

What ‘The Logan Affair’ also doesn’t do is that Kate’s colleagues are portrayed as big fools. For example, they are fiddling around with a bullet in a wall, after which the police officers then remark that it is better to leave it to the forensic investigation – even though they have already ‘contaminated’ the crime scene.

It is best to ignore ‘The Logan Affair’ if you are looking for an evening full of excitement. You can compare this feature film as a piece of fireworks that just won’t pop. It has one nice twist, but that’s where it ends. This feature film does not do justice to the thriller genre and it is to be hoped that Bledel chooses a better lead role next time, because if this is the line on which she continues her career…