Tweekums After drug addict Maggie kills a policeman she is sentenced to death. She is 'executed' but then wakes up to be told she has a choice either she can work for the state or her execution will take place for real. Supervised by 'Bob' her training then begins; she is taught how to behave properly and how to kill. She is not an easy student but eventually passes her final test. Finally she is allowed to leave the training facility and is told to move to Venice Beach and wait further instructions. Time passes and she gets in a relationship with a local man before finally being given her first job. Shortly afterwards 'Uncle Bob' turns up and gives his 'niece' two tickets to New Orleans for Mardi Gras… of course it turns out to be another job. By now Maggie has become more human, the job bothers her on a moral level and she doesn't want her boyfriend caught up in it; Bob tells her that there is no way out of her job. Inevitably she gets given another task… this time things don't go according to plan.When I first watched this in the cinema I really enjoyed this… at the time I hadn't seen 'Nikita'. Having seen both it is clear that this is more than 'based on' it is a very close remake; a few details are changed but not many. While I think the original is the superior film this is still pretty solid and I'll try to review it on its own merits. The story is solid and the main characters are believable despite the unlikely situation. Bridget Fonda does an impressive job as Maggie making her sympathetic despite the way she starts out. She is ably supported by Gabriel Byrne as 'Bob'; Anne Bancroft, as Amanda her etiquette coach; Dermot Mulroney as boyfriend JP and Miguel Ferrer as Bob's boss, who is not a fan of Maggie. There is also an impressively sinister turn from Harvey Keitel as Victor the Cleaner. The action is impressive with shootings, some martial arts and other fights. While there are a few disturbing moments, there is nothing too bad. Overall this is a solid action thriller and while I'd recommend watching 'Nikita' this is worth watching if you don't like subtitles, like any of the main actors involved or just want to compare the films.

ElMaruecan82 Directed by Luc Besson, "La Femme Nikita" was an overwhelming action/romance/thriller and Pygmalion story that scored big in the French box-office and got an enthusiastic reception across the Atlantic. Indeed, Roger Ebert praised the powerful performance of Anne Parillaud and the bleak melancholy of the film while Gene Siskel loved the way the film approached violence in a sort of subterranean way, the film made it appealing and stylish but through a character who didn't enjoy killing, and that was the mark of great thriller, it's not about mindless and enjoyed violence, in the case of Nikita, it was a survival tool but also the key of an existential cage. So their comments comforted my thoughts, it was one of the best 90's French movies.It was interesting to compare this to their reception of John Badham's remake "Point of No Return": Ebert was pleasantly surprised that a film which is a clear copy of the original (with a few changes here and there) managed to elevate itself above its 'remake' status and was more engaging and compelling than he expected. While not in the same vein of Anne Parillaud's vulnerable performance, Bridget Fonda did justice to the role, and the film managed to grab his interest and make him feel for the girl, whose code-name became Nina, in homage to Nina Simone, one of the film's touches of originality. Ebert loved the way the film distanced itself when it was possible (not at the key moments though), that she was sentenced to death after shooting a cop (in the original, she was just randomly 'killed') and overall, he liked it. Siskel didn't, he thought the attempts to capture the atmosphere of the first film was phony, and never hit an emotional chord like Besson's film did. So it was a split vote.And I guess,that's the effect "Point of No Return" will have, it's a mixed bag. Either you like it or you don't, but it's not that simple. In case you didn't see "La Femme Nikita", you might enjoy the remake but then reconsider your appreciation after watching the '(objectively) superior original. And in my opinion, watching the original first is perhaps the best service you can do to the remake, because I don't think the remake ever tries to overshadow it, it has no other ambition to be an Americanized version of a French movie and it does a fair job at that, which is more than you can say about American remakes. Several French classics have been remade into Hollywood movies and more than often, they're never as successful or they're not as good. For one "Sorcerer" or "Birdcage", you get "The Man With One Red Shoe", "Pure Luck'", "The Dinner Game" and "Father's Day". But since Besson's material had an American quality of its own, remaking it mainly consisted on adapting an international looking story with an American cast.And that's why it works, Bridget Fonda is no Anne Parillaud but as Nina, she exuded the same mix of sadness and commitment to her job that made the character so fascinating. And she was surrounded by a quality cast, Gabriel Byrne reprised Tcheky Karyo's mentor role as Bob, Miguel Ferrer is the boss who leaves no secret about his sentiment toward Nina, Anne Bancroft steals the show reprising the role of Jeanne Moreau (and yeah, there's something very fitting in Bancroft replacing the eternal French cougar) and Dermot Mulroney is a fair replacement for the boyfriend part, did I forget one? Oh yeah, Harvey Keitel while really intimidating as the Cleaner, can't be compared to Jean Reno, that's no comment on Keitel's acting, he'll be a far more efficient cleaner the next year as Mr. Wolf in Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction". It's not the 90's A-list star cast but they're all talented actors taking their roles seriously and I didn't really get Siskel's impression of phoniness. To each his own.But I'm making this review obviously meant for users who saw the original, I think it's the best advice I can give, watch it first. You know why? Because one of the things I loved about Besson's film is that it was a great thriller as far as unpredictable things went, it was full of surprises, sometimes thrilling, sometimes funny, exciting and even emotional. These elements are all handled very well by Besson who was at his prime as young 30-ish director, John Badham doesn't take any risk and his directing isn't really transcending, but the film works nonetheless. So, if there's one surprise effect to be spoiled, better to be from the less stylish one. But it won't ruin the enjoyment of the second for all that, because I enjoyed anticipating the scenes and seeing how Fonda, Byrne or any other actor handled them, it was fun to see the film and superpose it with the original experience and look for the few differences between them.And there were many differences, and perhaps the best one was the music, there were Nina Simone's songs used as a fine leitmotif, representing the only connection with Nina and her previous life, but then there's the score. The film is scored by Hans Zimmer and it's one of the most penetrative and emotional scores I've heard recently, it does enhance the character of Nina and adds to her tragic dimension, and it's used in very key moments where you're just about to label the film as action picture and all magically, the music gets in your ears, and you're literally transported. Well, maybe it's the one thing it got better than the first, and that's saying a lot since Eric Serra's score was great, too.So, it might not be in the same league than the first but that's not saying much since we're talking of a masterpiece, yet it's a good American remake of a French film and that's saying a lot, since they generally suck.

a.lampert I've only just discovered this movie and wonder how I've missed it before. I gather from other reviews that it's a remake of a french film 'Nikita' but being ignorant of this original picture I can only say how much I enjoyed this American re-make. I don't really care that a lot of reviewers are comparing the two, so for me, Point of No Return or The Assassin as it's sometimes called gripped me from the first frame to the last, hence my 8 stars. It's such a loss to cinema that Bridget Fonda hasn't made a pic for 12 years because I definitely have a crush on her after watching this and Lake Placid just recently. She reminded me very much of Jodie Foster in this movie and she's my all time favourite, in fact just the sort of thriller that Jodie might make. Bridget plays a soulless killer who is given the death sentence, only to be reprieved by sinister government officials, in order to train her to be a government assassin. Gabriel Byrne also gives a good performance as the main government agent who gradually warms to her. I'm not sure in reality that these sort of people can feel love like normal human beings but if you make a movie you have to find some empathy with the characters or you'll alienate the audience. Harvey keitel and Anne Bancroft add to the star power and the only weak character I thought was Dermot Mulroney as a rather hapless love interest for Bridget. The movie is generally pretty fast paced throughout with plenty of action and violence, but really at the end of the movie, all I could think of was Bridget Fonda.

elshikh4 This movie has only 2 excellent factors.Firstly, (Bridget Fonda)'s performance as Nina. Portraying fear, innocence, alienation, and violence was her glorious talent here. Actually, in some places, she was more serious than the movie itself. This undoubtedly is going to be in her top 5 works ever. True (Anne Bancroft) and (Dermot Mulroney) played their roles beautifully; (Bancroft) as old and a bit conscienceless version of Nina, and (Mulroney) as the carefree young man who becomes careworn after loving a grisly mystery. Though, I see that no one could compete with (Fonda), or reach the "excellent" rank she mounted.Secondly, (Hans Zimmer)'s music. It tells the story in indelible effectiveness, being hair-raising, sentimental and painful. I loved in specific the fiery track of the restaurant's chase, and the blue yet optimistic one of the very end.Sorrowfully, the ordinary factors include the rest of the movie ! The sets were poor; I quite hated (Anne Bancroft)'s class of a room. I discovered that (Fonda)'s black dress, that she wore in her first task, is stolen, not remade!, from the same sequence in Nikita (1990); the original French movie that this one is based on (now how uncreative !!). (John Badham)'s direction is so average. It has an executive character all along. As an action, it's deprived of anything special. And as emotional it's just good. (Badham)'s only merit, I think, was leading the performances soundly. Some points bugged me very. Concerning the restaurant's assassination; how in god's name carrying out a murder, by a governmental "secret" agent, without any disguise whatsoever, and in front of all the restaurant's customers, waiters and cooks ? Let alone any cameras as well ?! Then, the through-the-window assassination was done absurdly; that gun was so near to the extent of being seen by anyone, plus it was easy to know the source of the bullet ! And the matter of kidnapping the blond mistress, in front of all of her bodyguards, was more and more absurd. Why not gassing all of them since the start ? Add to that unwarranted points like seeing (Gabriel Byrne) kissing the heroine, or (Miguel Ferrer) throwing a joke. However, nothing was worse than the ending; I don't know a logical reason for it but a desperate intention of making a sequel ! (Point of No Return) couldn't be into the point unless in terms of performance and music. Hence, it ends up as average, despite (Fonda)'s cleverness while even blinking, and (Zimmer)'s music which can make the stone cry. Well, many average factors with a few excellent ones make average work. And the example is clear; this work !