christopher-underwood I can't recall whether I last saw this in the cinema or on video but I do recall liking it a lot and even had a poster on my wall. Coming to it again almost 30 years later I am not quite as impressed. It stuck me as overlong and I found it a bit uneven. There were scenes I was supposed to take seriously and then there were ridiculous sequences with cars ploughing through walls and fight-outs in posh restaurant kitchens with automatic weapons. I should have been on a warning with the opening sequence when there is a super hero comic book response by the police to a potential chemist shop robbery. Then, of course, during the period between viewings I have seen television adaptations. The fabulous French Canadian version, La Femme Nikita with the stunning Peta Wilson and the more recent and more similar to this in tone, US Nikita with Maggie Q. The French Canadian version very much takes the theme set out here but builds on it imaginatively and believably. It has to be said that even if this original film does now disappoint it was a great concept and Luc lesson can take much of the credit for that.

seymourblack-1 It's smart, stylish and violent with numerous well-directed action sequences but what's more surprising about "La Femme Nikita" is its preoccupation with character development and the effective way in which it changes pace at various points to meet the needs of its story. Its well-written plot describes how a young woman who begins as a drug-addicted criminal, is transformed into a more complex young lady who finds love and works for the French government as an assassin. The changes that take place as this originally hostile, defiant and volatile punk is moulded into a slightly more polished, disciplined and caring individual, are really entertaining to watch, not least, because of her unpredictability which makes the whole process so challenging, edgy and even on some occasions, humorous.Soon after a group of junkies break into a Paris pharmacy, a squad of heavily-armed police officers arrive on the scene and the ensuing gunfight results in fatalities on both sides. In the mayhem, all the gang members appear to have been killed but when one of the cops checks more thoroughly, he finds a teenager called Nikita (Anne Parillaud) crouching down under a piece of furniture. When she's approached by the cop who hesitates because he isn't certain whether or not she's a gang member, she callously shoots and kills him. After being sentenced to life in prison for her crime she's given what she suspects is a lethal injection and later wakes up in a white room where a man called Bob (Tcheky Karyo) visits her.Bob, who works for an unnamed government agency, shows her evidence that her death has been faked and recorded as a suicide with her body having been buried in row 8, plot 30 of the Maisons-Alfort cemetery. He goes on to offer her the opportunity of a new life working for the government which she readily accepts when she realises that the only other option is row 8, plot 30. Three years of intensive training follow during which she becomes proficient in the use of guns, martial arts and computers, as well as learning various points of etiquette and also how to act like a lady. After successfully completing her final test, which involves carrying out an assassination in a restaurant, Nikita is given her freedom and a new identity (Marie). As a covert agent, however, she knows she'll be expected to respond immediately whenever she's called upon to carry out any assassinations.Nikita soon finds happiness in her new life as a result of meeting supermarket check-out man, Marco (Jean-Hugues Anglade) who's good-natured, friendly and charming. The couple fall in love and move in together and although she's blissfully happy in the relationship, Nikita feels uncomfortable about not being able to share any details of her past with Marco and also having to be disingenuous on certain occasions when she has to cover-up for being involved in carrying out a hit. Despite this difficulty, she manages to continue satisfactorily with both her relationship and her job until she decides that a change of course is necessary after Marco discovers that she'd lied to him about being employed at a hospital and she nearly gets killed when one of her government jobs goes horribly wrong.As Nikita, Anne Parillaud is astonishingly good because she's equally credible as the nasty, vicious and feral punk who's initially seen in the robbery as she is in the various stages that she goes through as she morphs into the more controlled and emotionally mature person that she gradually becomes It's unusual for an action movie to feature a character of this type and also for their portrayal to be so convincing."La Femme Nikita" is an ultra-stylish movie that features some great action sequences, one of which culminates in a superb stunt when the eponymous anti-heroine escapes danger by leaping down a laundry chute. Despite such excitement however, what remains most memorable about the movie is its central character and the amazing transformation that she goes through.

eric262003 In the 1990's director Luc Besson was on a tear in his Native France as he paved the way with four very successful commercial films that year including the iconic "Leon: The Professional", "The Fifth Element", "Joan of Arc" and this one, the one that started it all, "La Femme Nikita". Even though "Leon: The Professional" is the best of the foursome, they're all very worthy in terms of quality. In the case of "La Femme Nikita", we need to realize that even though many situations are deemed implausible and to just sit back and enjoy some jaw-dropping action that will likely leave you in shock until the final credits roll.Anne Parillaud stars as Nikita, a rebellious, drug-addicted teen who hangs around with the wrong crowd. One night, these miscreants decide to rob a pharmacy in which one of the members' father owns the store. When the owner/father arrives on the scene with a gun, and notices his son and his friends stealing items in the store, things start to get real ugly. The father is shot to death and the police arrive on the scene where a stand-off takes shape. The gang is all shot dead with the exception of Nikita who surprisingly blows away a cop who was trying to revive her.Nikita is now incarcerated for life. While serving her time, Nikita is manipulated by her captors that she was contemplating suicide by a tranquilizer overdose. when she awakens, she is greeted by sharp clad man named Bob (Tcheky Karyo) and offers her an ultimatum. She is now under the care of the DSGE she can either be an assassin or go by way of row 8, plot 30 (her grave). She chooses to become an assassin and has excelled in the craft quite impressively. She even becomes computer savvy, skilled in martial arts and weaponry and even appears quite like a businesswoman like in appearance. After fulfilling her first missions, she is transferred to Paris as an enforcer to when the DSGE needs her. While in Paris, she meets a guy named Marco (Jean-Hughes Anglade) and they start a relationship with him oblivious as to what her profession is. Marco is puzzled as to why she has no family, friends or any kind of connection whatsoever. Bob gets invited to dinner as poses as her Uncle Bob and offers them two tickets to Venice, Italy as an engagement gift.But the trip and the moment of happiness comes to an end when Nikita receives a call about going on a mission with a sniper rifle in the bathroom. There she kills a woman and leaves her disappointed.The film ends when someone named "The Cleaner" (Jean Reno) who was sent to destroy all the evidence which at cost leaves him wounded by the embassy guards and gets killed while trying to escape from them. Marco eventually knows about her secret life and that draws concerns over her psychological scars, he decides that what's best for her is to vanish forever. Feeling that she abandoned the DSGE, Bob and Marco discuss what's in store for her, they agree she will be missed.With the exception of the rushed conclusion, this is an otherwise exciting start to the expectations of Besson's other commercial films especially "Leon: The Professional". I guess at the time Besson was still trying to master his craft as a filmmaker and though even if the pacing was contrived at times, the set-pieces were still something quite noteworthy; Nikita's induction hit, the assassination mission in Italy plus every scene featuring The Cleaner are primary examples of how dynamic Besson really is. The Cleaner is one of the coolest characters in this movie and make no mistake about it, he was the inspiration to the character Wolf from Quinton Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction" who was played by Harvey Keitel after Keitel played The Cleaner in the American 1993 "Nikita" remake. In "Leon: The Professional", Leon is believed to be a distant cousin to The Cleaner.The movie itself spawned many remakes and imitators over the past couple of decades. John Badham directed a pretty decent remake titled "Point of No Return" with Bridget Fonda playing Nikita who's name was changed to Maggie. In Canada, Joel Surnow directed a TV series starring Peta Wilson in the lead that lasted for five seasons (1997-2001). And Warner Brothers distributed a television series starring Maggie Q in the Nikita as she defected from her employment from the agency is now plotting to bring them down.The movie here was quite stimulating. Besson's direction was well executed, but the performances were quite memorable. Parillaud was Cesar winner for performance and Karyo was very convincing as Bob. But the finale was way too hurried it might leave one demanding for a sequel otherwise, it is a bit of a letdown.Overall I recommend this film with the exception of a poorly hurried finale that was anti-climactic. But the action and the performances are truly one you'll likely treasure. For those who love action films and girls with guns, you're in for a real treat.

robert-259-28954 Long before there were all of the "edgy, dangerous, and sexy" women we now see in action films every day, there was Anne Parillaud. In the over two decades since this seminal film was produced, unfortunately, they have never produced another actress quite like her. When I first viewed this movie, I was totally unprepared for what I was going to see, a virtual force of nature in a slim female figure. As a working actor myself, there are certain things that make a great actor, or a great performance. Part of this magic involves someone who not only fully understands the character, but brings the creative energy and intelligence to the role, fearlessly and without self-consciousness. Parillaud was like watching a master class in the art of acting... she embodied all of these essential qualities, and more. But with all the many good young actors today, NONE could have played the part with such a fully realized landscape of every human emotion imaginable—from drug-induced psychosis, to unfettered youthful rebellion, to total surrender and adulthood, then ultimately morphing to a beautiful compromise of each. Rather than recount all the story points of this movie, I only wish the reader to simply pick up a copy of this film, and watch the original "Nikita" do her thing. I can only describe her fabulous performance as, "Feral." WATCH IT.