GUILTY PLEASURE
Yes, La Femme Nikita is the real classic. But after repeated viewings on cable, this movie sneaks up on you. For all of its commercial hype and fake glamour, there are guilty pleasures throughout, not the least of which is the emotional core of the relationship between Bridget Fonda and Gabriel Byrne. Dermot Mulroney is also winning in his underwritten role. The wild premise survives the remake, because it is just so compelling and dramatic, and Anne Bancroft steals every scene she appears in. Give it a try, on its own terms.
Courtesy of Bridget and Nina...
Although lacking in some respects compared to the French original (you end up hoping that Bridget as assassin will pulverize her whimpering boyfriend with one of those big, big machine guns), Bridget Fonda as the star and Nina Simone with the soulful soundtrack give this movie the edge over La femme Nikita in at least two important departments. Bridget's performance here amazes me every time I see it--simultaneously believable as a feverishly trained assassin and a tragic hero so cute you just want to reach out and pinch her cheeks. But the highest marks go to the soundtrack. The writers of the adaptation wove in Nina Simone as a motif throughout the movie, well-complemented by 5 Nina songs, including "Feeling Good" and a cover of "Here Comes the Sun" tracked to the "relationship" scenes that /ALMOST/ make you forget how much you'd like Bridget to terminate her relationship with extreme prejudice..... Provides soulful reflection absent from the...
action, romance a winner
Bridget Fonda is outstanding in this role. Good mix of tense action and romance. I have recommended it to several friends and they all love it too. It's even better the 2nd time you watch it. It doesn't get stale.
I also "love Nina".
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