Nico, 1988

Last updated

Nico, 1988
Nico, 1988 poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Susanna Nicchiarelli
Written bySusanna Nicchiarelli
Produced by
  • Marta Donzelli
  • Gregorio Paonessa
  • Joseph Rouschop
  • Valérie Bournonville
Starring
Cinematography Crystel Fournier
Edited byStefano Cravero
Music byGatto Ciliegia Contro il Grande Freddo
Production
companies
Distributed byI Wonder Pictures (Italy)
Release dates
  • 30 August 2017 (2017-08-30)(Venice)
  • 12 October 2017 (2017-10-12)(Italy)
Running time
93 minutes
Countries
  • Italy
  • Belgium
LanguageEnglish
Box office$83,558 [1]

Nico, 1988 is a 2017 biographical drama film written and directed by Susanna Nicchiarelli. A co-production between Italy and Belgium, the film chronicles the last year of the life of German singer and model Nico. [2] It had its world premiere at the 74th Venice International Film Festival on 30 August 2017, and was released theatrically in Italy on 12 October 2017 by I Wonder Pictures.

Contents

Plot

During World War II, a young Christa Päffgen watches Berlin being bombed from a distance.

In 1988, Päffgen—now known as Nico—is living in Manchester. Having risen to fame as a model and a singer for the Velvet Underground, she is tired of talking about her past and prefers to revel in her current image as a bohemian artist. She plans to embark on tour of Europe with her new manager, Richard. He assembles a band for her and they set off on the road. Nico's addiction to heroin soon proves to be a problem: she is rude to Richard, delivers abrasive performances and angrily berates her band during a concert in Italy before storming off stage. However, she forms a close friendship with Dome La Muerte who tries to focus her attention on performing. Nico confides to him that she enjoys living a life of excess having experienced hunger and poverty in the aftermath of the war.

Before a concert in Paris, Nico mentions her son Ari during an interview and explains she was too wild to have a child at the time of his birth. She goes to visit him in an institution in France where he has been placed due to a suicide attempt and drug addiction. Richard agrees to a have Nico perform a guerrilla gig in communist Czechoslovakia at the behest of local dissident artists. Before the performance, Nico becomes angry when she cannot procure heroin and accuses the hosts of stealing her passport. Richard sternly reminds her that there are people around the world who still love her music and that the Czechoslovakian audience are taking a risk to see her perform. During the gig, Nico delivers a passionate performance to the delight of the crowd but the gig is brought to an abrupt halt as police raid the venue.

Nico and her band manage to escape to West Germany where they plan for Nico's final tour performance in West Berlin. Richard praises her performance and agrees to help her get clean and retrieve Ari from the institution. Things start going well for Nico and her band as she gives up drugs, but Ari attempts suicide and is placed in hospital. Nico states to Dome that she plans to retire from performing so she can grow old elegantly. Ari is released from hospital and Richard encourages him and Nico to take a long holiday to recuperate. He negotiates a new contract with Nico before she departs ensuring that she and Ari receive their share of royalties from her days with The Velvet Underground and they promise to record a new album together upon her return.

Nico travels to Ibiza for her holiday, but as revealed in the credits, she died on the island on 18 July 1988 at the age of 49 following a cycling accident.

Cast

Production

The film was a collaboration between the director and main actress Trine Dyrholm; they co-created the character. Dyrholm stated, "We created this version of Nico together". [3] Dyrholm sang all the songs in the film; she restructured the music with a musician and a band. They worked into a music studio before shooting. [4] Nicchiarelli did a lot of research and she flew to Manchester to meet Nico's manager. She also interviewed Nico's son, Ari. He read the first draft and later the final script. [5]

The film was shot in the square format instead of rectangular format. Nicchiarelli explained, "One of the main choices was the atmosphere of the second half of the 1980s which is very interesting; it has the decadence and the quality of the VHS. They worked on the quality of the VHS and tried to reproduce that, that kind of feeling. VHS and television are square format and it forces you to stay on the characters. I think it is interesting when cinema goes back to the square. Lately, some of the best films I've seen are square". [5]

Nicchiarelli used images of the real Nico's face and early video footage of Jonas Mekas. She wrote to him and he answered her immediately. Nicchiarelli said, "It is fun to work with archive material in fiction movies". [5]

Release

Nico, 1988 had its world premiere in the Horizons section of the 74th Venice International Film Festival on 30 August 2017. [6] The film was released theatrically in Italy on 12 October 2017 by I Wonder Pictures. [7] [8] In the United States, it was released on 1 August 2018 by Magnolia Pictures. [9]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 93% based on 76 reviews, with an average rating of 7/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Nico, 1988 takes an absorbing – and appropriately idiosyncratic – look at the singer's later years." [10] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 75 out of 100, based on 21 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [11]

Dyrholm, who played Nico, received critical acclaim for her performance. Owen Gleiberman of Variety hailed her as "a powerhouse of authenticity. Her moroseness is mesmerizing, but she also gives Nico a tense intelligence, and her singing is uncanny." [2] Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times also praised Dyrholm as "an actress of formidable presence", giving a "strong, truthful, unflinching performance that powers the film the way Christa's energy powered the bands she was in those late days". [12] Jeannette Catsoulis of The New York Times also praised how Dyrholm was photographed in "brutally unforgiving close-up", saying that it "fully captures the faded charisma of the singer" in the last year of her existence. [13] Joe Morgenstern of The Wall Street Journal wrote, "I've never seen a performance quite like it — unsparingly harsh, but also graceful, droll and tender, a portrait of soul-weariness laced with a yearning for salvation." [14]

At the Venice Film Festival in 2017, it won the Orrizonti Award for Best Film. [15] At the Donatellos in 2018, it won the Best Original Script award, [16] and was nominated in the Best Films category. [17] At the 9th Magritte Awards, it received a nomination in the category of Best Foreign Film in Coproduction. [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nico</span> German singer and actress (1938–1988)

Christa Päffgen, known by her stage name Nico, was a German singer, songwriter, actress, and model. Reviewer Richard Goldstein described her as "half goddess, half icicle" and wrote that her distinctive voice "sounds something like a cello getting up in the morning."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mariangela Melato</span> Italian actress (1941–2013)

Mariangela Caterina Melato, sometimes billed as Maria Angela Melato, was an Italian actress. She is most remembered for her roles in films of director Lina Wertmüller, including The Seduction of Mimi (1972), Love and Anarchy (1973), and Swept Away (1974). In cinema, she also appeared in films of Claude Chabrol, Elio Petri and Vittorio De Sica, and on stage in productions by Dario Fo, Luchino Visconti and Luca Ronconi. Her roles in English-language films include the 1980 science fiction film Flash Gordon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trine Dyrholm</span> Danish actress, singer and songwriter

Trine Dyrholm is a Danish actress, singer and songwriter. Dyrholm received national recognition when she placed third in the Dansk Melodi Grand Prix as a 14-year-old singer. Four years later, she again achieved national recognition when she won the Bodil Award for Best Actress in her debut film: the teenage romance Springflod. Dyrholm has won the Bodil Award for Best Actress five times and a Bodil award for Best Supporting Actress twice as well as six Robert Awards in her acting career.

The David di Donatello Award for Best Film is one of the David di Donatello awards presented annually by the Accademia del Cinema Italiano (ACI). The award recognizes the most outstanding Italian film theatrically released in Italy during the year preceding the ceremony. The award was first given in 1970, and became competitive in 1981.

The David di Donatello Award for Best Director is a film award presented annually by the Accademia del Cinema Italiano to recognize the outstanding direction of a film director who has worked within the Italian film industry during the year preceding the ceremony. The award was first given in 1956, and became competitive in 1981.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David di Donatello for Best Actor</span> Award

The David di Donatello Award for Best Actor is a film award presented annually by the Accademia del Cinema Italiano to recognize the outstanding performance in a leading role of a male actor in an Italian film released during the year preceding the ceremony. The award was first given in 1956, and became competitive in 1981.

The David di Donatello Award for Best Actress is a film award presented annually by the Accademia del Cinema Italiano to recognize the outstanding performance in a leading role of an actress who has worked within the Italian film industry during the year preceding the ceremony. Nominees and winner are selected via run-off voting by all the members of the Accademia.

The David di Donatello Award for Best Supporting Actor is a film award presented by the Accademia del Cinema Italiano to recognize the outstanding performance in a supporting role of an actor who has worked within the Italian film industry during the year preceding the ceremony. It has been awarded every year since 1981.

The David di Donatello Award for Best Screenplay was a film award presented by the Accademia del Cinema Italiano to recognize outstanding screenwriting in a film released in Italy during the year preceding the ceremony. The award was presented annually from 1975 to 2016, when it was split between the Original and Adapted Screenplay categories.

The David di Donatello for Best European Film is a category in the David di Donatello Awards, described as "Italy’s answer to the Oscars". It was awarded by the Accademia del Cinema Italiano to recognize the most outstanding non-Italian film released in Europe during the year preceding the ceremony. The award was launched at the 2004 ceremony and cancelled after the 2018 event, following which it was incorporated into the Best Foreign Film award.

<i>Love Is All You Need</i> 2012 Danish film

Love Is All You Need is a 2012 Danish romantic comedy film directed by Susanne Bier and starring Pierce Brosnan and Trine Dyrholm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isabella Ferrari</span> Italian actress of television, theatre and the cinema

Isabella Fogliazza, better known by her stage name of Isabella Ferrari, is an Italian television, stage and film actress. She is best known for her role as Commissioner Giovanna Scalise, the main character in the police drama series Distretto di Polizia and Distretto di Polizia 2, which was televised on Mediaset's Canale 5 from 2000 to 2001. At the 1995 Venice Film Festival she won a Volpi Cup award for Best Supporting Actress in the film Romanzo di un giovane povero.

The Robert Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role is a Danish Film Academy award presented at the annual Robert Award ceremony to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding leading performance in a Danish film.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">74th Venice International Film Festival</span> Film festival

The 74th annual Venice International Film Festival was held from 30 August to 9 September 2017.

Vivo Film, established in Rome at the beginning of 2004 by Gregorio Paonessa and Marta Donzelli, is an Italian independent production company for art-house films.

<i>Cinderella the Cat</i> 2017 film by Alessandro Rak, Ivan Cappiello, Marino Guarnieri and Dario Sansone

Cinderella the Cat is a 2017 Italian adult animated crime drama film directed by Alessandro Rak, Ivan Cappiello, Marino Guarnieri and Dario Sansone, loosely based on the Giambattista Basile's fable of the same name and Roberto De Simone's musical La Gatta Cenerentola. The plot is set in a decaying future Naples and concerns a mysterious mute teenager called Mia, who struggles to escape from the Camorra boss Salvatore Lo Giusto and her vicious stepmother Angelica.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Susanna Nicchiarelli</span> Italian director, actress and screenwriter

Susanna Nicchiarelli is an Italian director, actress and screenwriter.

<i>Queen of Hearts</i> (2019 film) 2019 film

Queen of Hearts is a 2019 Danish drama film directed by May el-Toukhy, and starring Trine Dyrholm and Gustav Lindh. The Danish and English film titles obliquely refer to the Queen of Hearts character in the children's book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland which is mentioned repeatedly in the film. The film was selected as the Danish entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 92nd Academy Awards, though it was not nominated. The film won the 2019 Nordic Council Film Prize.

<i>Miss Marx</i> 2020 biographical period drama film

Miss Marx is a 2020 biographical period drama film about Eleanor Marx, written and directed by Susanna Nicchiarelli. A co-production between Italy and Belgium, this English-language film stars Romola Garai as Marx and Patrick Kennedy as her lover Edward Aveling.

Christian Aaron Boulogne, also known as Ari Boulogne and Ari Päffgen, was a French photographer, actor and writer.

References

  1. ↑ "Nico, 1988 (2017)". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved 16 July 2023.
  2. 1 2 Gleiberman, Owen (30 August 2017). "Film Review: 'Nico, 1988'". Variety . Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  3. ↑ "Nico, 1988 | Special" [Interview with the director and main actress about their collaboration]. YouTube. 17 April 2018. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  4. ↑ "Nico, 1988 | Special" [interview about the recording of the music before shooting. YouTube. 17 April 2018. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  5. 1 2 3 IFFR Live: Nico, 1988 interactive Q&A with Susanna Nicchiarelli and Trine Dyrholm. YouTube. 7 February 2018. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  6. ↑ Anderson, Ariston (27 July 2017). "Venice Competition Includes Films From George Clooney, Guillermo del Toro, Darren Aronofsky". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 16 July 2023.
  7. ↑ "Nico, 1988 di Susanna Nicchiarelli" (in Italian). I Wonder Pictures. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
  8. ↑ Cajani, Valentina (30 August 2017). "Nico, 1988. L'icona rock che continuava a sedurre (suo malgrado)". GQ Italia (in Italian). Retrieved 16 July 2023.
  9. ↑ Marotta, Jenna (16 July 2018). "'Nico, 1988' Trailer: A Rock Goddess Unravels in This Venice Film Festival Award Winner — Watch". IndieWire . Retrieved 16 July 2023.
  10. ↑ "Nico, 1988". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved 16 July 2023.
  11. ↑ "Nico, 1988 Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  12. ↑ Turan, Kenneth (3 August 2018). "Review: 'Nico, 1988' is powered by the formidable performance of Trine Dyrholm as the late pop singer". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 8 August 2018– via PressReader.
  13. ↑ Catsoulis, Jeannette (31 July 2018). "Review: 'Nico, 1988' Dramatizes the Singer's Tormented Final Years" . The New York Times . Archived from the original on 15 June 2019. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  14. ↑ Morgenstern, Joe (2 August 2018). "'Nico, 1988' Review: Heroin and Heroine" . The Wall Street Journal . Archived from the original on 3 August 2018. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  15. ↑ Awards of the 74th Venice Film Festival. labiennale.org. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  16. ↑ "David Di Donatello Awards 2018 Result [Vincitori Premi David Di Donatello 2018]". daviddidonatello.it. Archived from the original on 13 August 2018. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  17. ↑ "Academy of the Italian Cinema - candidates for the David Di Donatello Awards 2018". daviddidonatello.it. Archived from the original on 13 August 2018. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  18. ↑ Roxborough, Scott (14 January 2019). "'Girl,' 'Above the Law' Lead Belgium Film Award Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.