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If you’re
in the mood for a stylish action/spy thriller,
you really can’t get any better than
MGM Home Entertainment’s DVD release
of “La Femme Nikita.”
The characters are great, the cinematography
slick, and the gun battles bloody and extreme.
Oh, and did I mention it was a French film?
Back in 1990, with just a couple of movies
under his belt, Director Luc Besson created
a near-cult phenomenon with “La
Femme Nikita.” The story revolved
around a streetwise punk (Anne Parillaud)
who murders a cop in cold-blood, gets caught
and is sentenced to die. And die she does,
at least in theory. She is recruited, against
her will, by an ultra-secret organization
whose mission it is to stop the world’s
deadliest assassins and terrorists. After
an intense three year training regimen,
she is finally unleashed as an operative.
The film was popular enough to spawn two
remakes, a Chinese version called “Hei
Mao” (Black Cat) directed by Stephen
Shin and the American “Point of No
Return”, directed by John Badham and
starring Bridget Fonda.
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Though both were decent films, neither effectively
lived up to the original. Then in 1997, the USA
network took a chance on a TV series based on
the character of Nikita. This one starred the
then unknown Australian actress Peta Wilson, and
though it had a rocky start ratings-wise, garnered
enough attention to enjoy a five year run. (Warner
Home Video has just released the first season
on DVD and you can catch my review of this great
series elsewhere on this site.)
The original “La Femme Nikita” had
long been a favorite movie of mine. Besson’s
direction was tightly paced, and his use of lighting
and camera shots produced eye-catching visuals
that were, at times, hypnotic. The action sequences
were often over the top and unbelievable, but
they were well choreographed and worked within
the context of the picture.
His choice of casting was also top-notch. Despite
her cold and calculated killer persona, Parillaud’s
Nikita was far from one-dimensional. There was
no doubt she would kill you at the drop of a hat,
but as the movie progressed, a far more emotionally
vulnerable woman started to emerge as she develops
a loving relationship, seemingly for the first
time. Nikita is a character built on conflict
and complexity, and Parillaud delivers all of
these opposing sides to the fullest.
Fans of Jean Reno who haven’t seen “La Femme Nikita” need to just to see his performance
as Victor, a very unusual assassin. He obviously
has a lot if fun with the role, creating a cruelly
sadistic character that borders on caricature.
This serves him well as far as setting him up
to play the title character Leon, in my other
favorite must-see ‘assassin’ movie,
“The Professional.” (Which also happened
to be directed by Besson, and starred a very young
Natalie Portman).
MGM’s new DVD release of “La Femme Nikita” offers up a few long overdue extras,
which are worthwhile, but I would have liked to
have seen a bit more. What it does have in the
way of a documentary includes some new interviews
with some of the cast, and a separate featurette
on the music. There is also an interactive feature
that gives the viewer a look into some of the
movie’s sets.
I was extremely impressed with the DVD transfer,
which for this film was especially important due
to the extreme color and shadowing Besson utilizes
throughout. The image was very sharp and clear,
with no problems as far as contrast.
If you’re not into ultra-violent shoot-em-up
spy flicks, I would recommend staying away from
“La Femme Nikita”, BUT for those of
you who love a great action flick, this is the
one for you.
Directed by: Luc Besson
Starring: Anne Parillaud, Jean-Hughes Anglade,
Tcheky Karyo, Jean Reno,
Extras: The Sound of Nikita Featurette, The Making
of La Femme Nikita, Interactive Map, Easter Egg,
Poster Gallery, and Theatrical Trailer
Specifications: Widecreen (2.35:1) Enhanced for
16x9 Televisions, French 5.1 Surround, English
5.1 Surround
Studio: MGM
Release Date: 7/1/2003
Region 1
MPAA Rating: R
Website
We'll give La Femme Nikita an A.
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