The last years and final performances of legendary singer Nico – who did not want to be remembered as Lou Reed’s femme fatale – are brought vividly to the screen by Danish actress Trine Dyrholm.
Screened as part of NZIFF 2018
Nico, 1988 2017
“Approaching 50, singer-songwriter Nico leads a solitary, low-key existence in Manchester, far from her glam days in the 1960s as a Warhol superstar and celebrated vocalist for The Velvet Underground. Unconcerned about her career, Nico is urged on by her new manager to embark on a tour of Europe. Dependent on heroin, and usually in an unforgiving mood, Nico uses the tour to try to re-establish a connection with her son, from whom she’s long been separated. Nico is still a fearless and extraordinary performer, and the film captures both the missteps and the moments of glory. With what Variety describes as a ‘zombie-pitch-perfect’ performance by Dyrholm (who sings herself), Nico, 1988 is an uncompromising biopic of a singular figure in popular culture.” — Sydney Film Festival
“In exploring the German singer’s life after her 1960s fame had waned, writer/director Susanna Nicchiarelli and star Trine Dyrholm craft a late-career biopic that acts not only as a portrait of a complex figure, but recognises the considerable toll of daring not to conform… Aesthetically and emotionally immersive… the movie proves as accessible to newcomers as it is to seasoned fans.” — Sarah Ward, Screendaily