Pablo Picasso was apparently supposed to have said “good artists copy, great artists steal”. In the world of transnational cinema this is especially true when we see re-imaginings (to use the modern parlance) of particular films. With Luc Besson’s “La Femme Nikita”, the original “inspired” an incredibly dull American remake, TV series and inevitably an unofficial Hong Kong take from D&B Films. It would be hard pressed to argue that they were great artists and Stephen Shin would hardly be considered a visual stylist as Luc Besson in his prime. Yet this is more than just a facsimile copy and does have merit in it’s own right.
After killing a truck driver for assaulting her, Catherine (Jade Leung) is found by the police and shoots one of them unintentionally. After being attacked in jail by vengeful officers, she attempts to escape whilst on route to court. She is shot and wakes up to find she has been taken to a secret base and has a microchip implanted in her that monitors her actions codenamed “Black Cat“. Her handler Brian (Simon Yam) observes her rebellious attitude and gradual acceptance into her new life. After passing a final test that sees her perform an assassination at a wedding, she is sent to Hong Kong with a new identity as Erica, whilst continuing as a CIA operative. On one assignment, she meets Allan (Thomas Lam) a wildlife officer who takes her photograph. She sneaks into his house to kill him but finds herself attracted to him instead. As her dual identities converge it isn’t long before sacrifices must be made and Catherine must choose between freedom and duty.
Officially this is not a remake of “La Femme Nikita” but let’s be completely honest: it is! Whilst the storyline may diverge at certain points, anyone who has seen the original will recognize the similarities instantly. Is it as good as the original? In my opinion, no. But this is a review of “Black Cat” so I will attempt to avoid comparisons as best I can in order to reflect on its own qualities. What we get is a slightly more science fiction approach with Catherine\Erica implanted with a microchip and the training culminating in a drug induced test that sees her required to kill an unknown person on a flight. There is no replication of Nikita being shown how to use her feminine wiles, instead she seems to have that almost from the beginning.
“Black Cat” was released just at the time the Category III explosion was about to hit. Although not one itself, there are certain overlaps with a very sensual heroine in Jade Leung. It’s rather unusual to get such an overtly sexualized lead character during this era. There had been a succession of female led action movies in the years prior, largely down to the success of D&B’s “In the Line of Duty” series that starred firstly Michelle Yeoh and then Michelle Khan. These ladies were undeniably attractive but as with most action stars, they had relatively chaste romances. Jade Leung was the polar opposite. The camera frequently closes up to her face and often stripped down (though the camera remains strategically in place to avoid showing to much). It fully embraces her femininity yet allows her to be completely engaged in the numerous action scenes. It’s an intense, emotionally driven performance that was deservedly recognized at the time.
As her handler Brian, Simon Yam is unusually rather impassive and underplays nicely in comparison to the more firery Jade Leung. Clearly a character in control of his emotions, it’s a nicely measured performance that sits well within the overall piece. Less fortunate is Thomas Lam’s Allen who never really gets to develop his character and is essentially a plot device. A quick mention must be made to the western performers. I rarely criticize the western actors in this era as the target audience probably wouldn’t be aware of the regional accents, in the same way I wouldn’t necessarily understand regional accents in Cantonese or Mandarin. Yet am pretty sure there shouldn’t be that many Australian’s in the American Police force and the news reporter was clearly struggling to read off an autocue.
Stephen Shin directs this with a fair degree of style. The opening third is shot in apparently endless corridors and gives it a sheen of sleekness as befits the slightly futuristic element of the narrative. He makes the most of the location shoots which does make it look a bigger film than it was budgeted and is certainly slicker than what might be expected.
The script does follow the “Nikita” template quite closely, especially with the emotional beats. The ending however does come as a surprise, both from the sudden conclusion, as well as being the point that deviates the most from the original. There are some rather obvious metaphors with caged birds and references to 1997 that seek to add more depth but add little in reality. The futuristic elements never dominate and whilst we get microchips in the head and ice bullets, it is never labored over to the point where it becomes distracting. The action is very well shot. With Jade Leung not being a martial artist or trained dancer like her peers, it’s more gunplay and rough house fighting but she throws herself into the stunt work and these elements do not disappoint. The set pieces are varied and not over edited.
If, like me, you love “La Femme Nikita” then there is a chance that you might be slightly disappointed by this as it lacks that “something” that fully elevates it the original. However, that is not to say this is a bad film, far from it. It is well directed, contains good action scenes and launched the career of Jade Leung. Whilst she struggled to capture the momentum that this brought her, it’s a showcase for her that she grabs with both hands. It’s one of the better female centered action movies from the era and is definitely worth watching.
