By Chris Betros

Arts & Culture Jun. 15, 2010 - 06:04AM JST ( 5 )

TOKYO —

French director Luc Besson says France excels at making two things – cuisine and beautiful women. As evidence of the latter, he introduced to the media in Japan his latest “discovery” – Louise Bourgoin, 28, who stars in the fantasy film “Les aventures extraordinaires d’Adèle Blanc-Sec.”

Besson, 51, who is known for launching the film careers of many young actresses, including Natalie Portman (“Leon”) and Milla Jovovich (“The Fifth Element”), described Bourgoin as the “muse of the 21st century.”

Bourgoin admitted she was surprised to be chosen for “Adele.” The tall actress, who dropped out of school in Rennes, France, started her showbiz career as a weather girl for Canal Plus station. “After that, I was only in one movie, ‘The Girl From Monaco’ in 2008, when Luc asked me to be in this project,” she said.

If you’ve seen the posters around Tokyo for “Adele,” you’ll know that it looks like a mixture of “The Mummy,” “Indiana Jones” and “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.” Bourgoin plays Adele Blanc-Sec, a feisty novelist pursued by monsters, grotesque villains, inept cops, and would-be suitors. Based on Jacques Tardi’s comic book series, the story is set between 1911 and 1922 in a Paris traumatized by World War I (Adele spends the war years in cryogenic suspension). Her adventures take her to Egypt in search of an elixir of life. Oh, and did we forget? A 136-million-year old pterodactyl egg in the natural history museum in Paris hatches and starts wreaking havoc on the city.

Besson said he experienced some havoc himself in trying to get to Japan. He had to cancel his trip twice in April and May due to the Iceland volcanic eruption. “I’ve been coming to Japan for 20 years and this is the first time I couldn’t get here,” he mused.

The director said his movies have always been well received in Japan, from “Le grand bleu” in 1988, to “La femme Nikita” (1990), “Leon” (1994), “The Fifth Element” (1997), “Wasabi” (2001), the “Transporter” and “Taxi” films of the past six years and “Arthur and the Minimoys,” for which he last came to Japan three years ago. “Unfortunately, my Japanese isn’t getting any better, except for sushi. I know the names of each and every fish as they come past on the conveyor,” he said.

The laconic director, who has a love-hate relationship with journalists, has often said that he isn’t going to direct any more films, but admitted that he always finds a project to take on again. Most of the time, he said he is happy producing and writing no-brain action movies, such as John Travolta’s latest outing, “From Paris With Love.”

Growing up, Besson said he spent a lot of time in nature, living in Greece, Bulgaria and former Yugoslavia where his parents were diving instructors for Club Med. He never had a TV until he was 16. “There were no video games or Internet. If you wanted to play, you had to invent games. Then I remember going to visit friends in 1969. They had a TV and I was amazed by images of a guy jumping from a ladder onto the moon.”

Ever since, Besson said he has given free reign to his imagination. “There are so many stories to tell. I keep paper and a pen with me all the time to write down ideas.”

Bourgoin said she learned a lot from Besson. “I found him to be both strict and enthusiastic,” she said, adding that if there is a sequel, she is “highly motivated.”

However, if there is a sequel, apparently Bourgoin will have some competition from Aki Hoshino. The busty 32-year-old “talent,” who has been appointed a “PR muse” for the film in Japan, showed up, wearing a mini-skirt and pleaded with Besson to cast her as Adele in the sequel. After having a good look, Besson said: “Well, if you were dressed like that on the set every day, we wouldn’t get much work done. Why don’t you star in ‘Adele in Wonderland’ instead?” 

“Les aventures extraordinaires d’Adèle Blanc-Sec” opens in Japan on July 3.