The wonderful Luc Besson’s Nikita is probably the first subtitled film that I ever fell in love with.
Nikita is a drug addict who kills a police officer in a high during a pharmacy drugs-raid gone wrong. She is sentenced, but then given a ‘second-chance’ and recruited into a government assassin training programme.
This is a typically French gritty film, with some fantastic acting, and a brilliant Jean Reno playing the short on-screen part of ‘The Cleaner’ when a hit goes wrong.
Hollywood decided to remake this film into the awful The Assassin with Bridget Fonda in 1993, with even Gabriel Byrne unable to save it. I have also just seen today that a series will be starting on Living next month based on the film – I don’t know whether I will want to watch it or not, as I am sure it will be like a complete assassination of the film!
Nikita is raw, edgy and superb – although it is 20 years old now, and IO haven’t watched it for at least 10. Perhaps I should give it another go!
My rating – 9/10
My London Life In Reviews 