REVIEW: ‘Nico, 1988’ features stunning central performance
Photo: Trine Dyrholm stars in Nico, 1988, which opens Wednesday, Aug. 1 at the renovated Film Forum in New York City. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures / Provided with permission.
Trine Dyrholm, a Danish actress, is simply a marvel as singer Nico in the new biopic Nico, 1988, which is set to open Wednesday, Aug. 1 at the refurbished Film Forum in New York City and at the Nuart Theatre in Los Angeles this weekend. Nico, of course, was the legendary singer who contributed to the first album of the Velvet Underground and was a pivotal part of the Andy Warhol scene in the 1960s.
The new drama looks at the final years of Nico’s life, charting the many tribulations on her last tour of Europe in the 1980s. She is depicted as a woman addicted to drugs, chain-smoking cigarettes, attempting to reconcile with her estranged son and having trouble making quality music with her fellow band members. Every so often, she is able to sing a powerful tune in her characteristically husky voice, and the results are transporting. The lyrics are carefully delivered, and the stage presence is uncanny. This is largely because of Dyrholm’s portrayal.
If it weren’t for this central performance, the biopic may not work as well as it does. The actress is so commanding as Nico, combining a sense of fragility with a show of strength, that the acting can be almost scary in its exactitude. She’s a loving mother, but one who falls short. She’s a talented musician, but only part of the time. She’s difficult to live with, and yet finds peace in conversations with friends.
Nico, 1988 largely nixes the controversial statements that the singer made in her life, but the movie, written and directed by Susanna Nicchiarelli, also doesn’t let its central figure off the hook. The camera never shies away from the bumps and bruises that came with the Nico personality. In many ways, because the biopic stays realistic, the audience is able to internalize and comprehend this character, even when she is presented in such a state of decline.
Above all, Nico, 1988 portrays a woman dedicated to her music and largely misunderstood by everyone in her life. She didn’t compromise for anyone and often kept her closest friends at a distance. She was protecting something, shielding her life from inspection. Her music was sometimes impenetrable, and her affection was not doled out easily, at least according to the movie.
In other words, Nico makes for a fascinating subject.
Some fans of Nico may be upset that the chosen time period for the singer wasn’t the swinging ’60s, and others may be upset that certain lowlights were brushed aside. Perhaps that’s the mark of a strong biography, when the two sides agree on their disagreement, and the only artistic choice left is that central performance by Dyrholm.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Nico, 1988 (2018), written and directed by Susanna Nicchiarelli, stars Trine Dyrholm as Nico. Running time: 93 minutes. Opening Wednesday, Aug. 1 at New York City’s Film Forum, and Aug. 3 at the Nuart Theatre in Los Angeles. Click here for more information. Rating: 
