Codename - Nina

This movie is pretty much a shot-for-shot remake of the French film "La Femme Nikita" by Luc Besson. I'll say right off the bat that I strongly suggest watching that one instead, since they are virtually indistinguishable but this one is just a clone, a (not so cheap) imitation.

As with many foreign films that are remade for American audiences (like "Let the Right One In," "Funny Games," or "Infernal Affairs"), I'm often left feeling hollow after viewing both versions. The original was, well, original, which is why it gained international acclaim at the time, opening doors to Luc Besson for productions like "Leon" and "The Fifth Element." With this Americanized repeat, there's nothing added, no extra twist, no real reason to remake a perfectly good first film, other than the fact that Americans don't like to read subtitles. It's no wonder Luc Besson refused the offer to direct; seems pretty boring for an artist to make the exact same movie again within five years of the first.

Don't get me wrong, it's a perfectly watchable film, but I'm not liable to give it any credit beyond that since the whole thing was lifted from a movie made only a few years before this. Bridget Fonda is solid, and makes the transition from despicable junkie to government assassin pretty believable. Gabriel Byrne, of course, does well in his role, but I think this character has a very limited range compared to that of which he is capable. Dermot Mulroney is easy on the eyes but his character is not particularly memorable.

Good action, a little romance, and Bridget Fonda kicking ass. Plus a small role for Harvey Keitel at his peak, fresh off of "Reservoir Dogs" and "Bad Lieutenant." The shootouts are pretty par for the 90's, with squibs exploding everywhere and the usual shots of the protagonist diving through the air in slow motion. At the time, the role-reversal of having a female spy/assassin as the lead was pretty unique, but nowadays, of course, that is not so uncommon at all.

Summary: totally watchable, but totally unnecessary.

I thought this flick was good, and I'm SO glad that the film didn't resort to the typical Hollywood ending that other American remakes do (though it differed just a bit from the original "Nikita").

Admittedly, I'm biased in that I'm getting to be a big Bridget Fonda fan. And I agree with another reviewer that Fonda played a more likable character than the one in the French original.

Plus, the DVD's sound is great, though the picture is grainy.

All in all, a good film that doesn't deserve all the mudslinging it has gotten.

This movie is also called The Assassin. I have never seen the original, Nikita, from Luc Besson, but I was looking for it, instead I stumbled on this film in the rental store and it turned out to be a remake. I thought, with Bridget Fonda as a gunslinging babe, plus Gabriel Byrne and Harvey Keitel in the supporting cast, and in the director's chair John Badham, of Wargames, Bird on a Wire and The Hard Way fame, what can go wrong? Everything!

The camerawork is plain mediocre and not any action scene seems to have any choreography, the whole movie lacks style and elegance while it should have those above everything else. I think, if it would have been a good movie, every scene would have been either very thrilling and exciting to watch or involving. The scene with the arrest in the beginning and the training scenes could have been so much better with a little imagination. The same for the other "action" scenes. The whole movie is very uninspired and a huge waste of talent. For those who like the chix-with-guns genre, which still seems a bit underused, I recommend The Long Kiss Goodnight with Geena Davis and Samuel L. Jackson which is far superior and has a better plot to boot. Or if you want to see a really good film with Bridget Fonda go watch A Simple Plan.

I give this film 4 out of 10 because it had so much more potential. Were it a B-movie I had been more forgiving, but it wasn't. It was, however, executed as badly as a B-movie.

I've never seen the French film, Nikita, on which this is based, but it sounds superb. What drew me into this film was the presentation of the story, which focuses less on her as a professional killer and more on her humanity. In the French film, Nikita looks very forceful and aggressive. Fonda in "Point" seems more sensitive and feminine. I'm just going to have to see the French one. I'm not easy to impress and this film drew me in. Nikita must be awesome.

BRIDGET FONDA has a face one can just stare at for hours. It's a restrained performance. She plays a very conflicted character full of paradox. A proposal from her lover cause tears to well up in her eyes as she peers down the scope of her rifle at her latest target. She manages to keep a straight face when her friend is killed in front of her. She even manages a smile and says, "I never did mind about the little things." Fonda has such talent that she's able to portray pure calm with every muscle in her face while her eyes swim in terror and heartbreak.

HARVEY KEITEL is Victor, the Cleaner. His face is a stone. No smiles, frowns, or grimaces. He is heartless and emotionless. As he kills, his face remains stone cold. He says no unnecessary words. His answers are short, to the point. Superb. His performance is understated brilliance.

GABRIEL BYRNE has a knack for making his characters believable. He's harsh, yet sympathetic. He alone makes this movie worth watching.

Yes, it's a bad remake of La Femme Nikita--yes, it's overly violent and amoral (but so was the original)--yes, it's REALLY stupid, but I enjoyed it. It moves quickly, Fonda manages to give out a pretty good performance and it's certainly never boring. If you can turn off your brain, and sit through bursts of graphic violence (and a really sick sequence involving Harvey Keitel as "The Cleaner") you should be able to enjoy it. No great movie, just a really good bad movie. Critics predictably hated this movie. There's a now infamous review from the "New Yorker" magazine that's only 9 words long--"The end of French cinema as we know it." Ignore them--this is lots of fun.