‘La Femme Nikita’ Gets Asylum in Beverly Hills

The Scene: Tuesday night’s premiere of “La Femme Nikita,” which the posters called “the coolest, hippest, most stylish French thriller in ages.” After a screening at the Music Hall in Beverly Hills, guests traveled up Robertson Boulevard for a reception at the new club Asylum, hosted by Premiere magazine and the Samuel Goldwyn Co.

Who Was There: At the reception were “Nikita” director Luc Besson and star Anne Parillaud, Samuel Goldwyn Jr., Marlee Matlin and Stephen Bishop.

Dress Code: Lots of European-inspired suits and dresses--the hip young Hollywood look. Waiters wore jackets with brass buttons and red velvet collars--the turn-of-the-century Russian look--while the puffy sleeves on the bartenders’ shirts could have come straight from the Renaissance Pleasure Faire.

Chow: Finger-food entrees--crab puffs, smoked salmon, beef satay and desserts, which were snapped up quickly by the crowd.

Music: Ethereal New Age sounds finally gave way to a tape of tunes by Grace Jones, Talking Heads and Fine Young Cannibals.

Triumphs: The four-day-old Asylum’s handsome, intimate room (maximum capacity 95), with booths, sofa areas made for conversation, a real wood-burning fireplace and, thank goodness, none of those trendy decorative walls of leather-bound books that never get read (and are usually purchased by the foot from interior decorators).

Glitches: The roaring blaze needed a bit more ventilation. One woman came in, sniffed and snapped: “Smells like this place has caught on fire!”

A Star Is Bored: Anne Parillaud showed the kind of enthusiasm for being photographed normally associated with Sean Penn. Despite the best efforts of publicists, she turned her back on cameras and made a point of sneering at photographers. Explained an embarrassed publicist: “This is the fifth city on the tour. She must be tired.” Oh.