Point of No Return (1993)

A government fakes the death of a criminal to turn this young woman into a killer on its service.

Director:

John Badham

Writers:

Luc Besson (film La Femme Nikita), Robert Getchell (screenplay)

Stars:

Bridget Fonda, Gabriel Byrne, Dermot Mulroney

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bridget Fonda	...	Maggie
Gabriel Byrne	...	Bob
Dermot Mulroney	...	J.P.
Miguel Ferrer	...	Kaufman
Anne Bancroft	...	Amanda
Olivia d'Abo	...	Angela
Richard Romanus	...	Fahd Bahktiar
Harvey Keitel	...	Victor the Cleaner
Lorraine Toussaint	...	Beth
Geoffrey Lewis	...	Drugstore Owner
Mic Rodgers	...	Cop
Michael Rapaport	...	Big Stan
Ray Oriel	...	Burt
Spike McClure	...	Johnny D
Lieux Dressler	...	Johnny's Mom

Storyline

Drug addict Maggie Hayward's consistent violence, even in police custody, ends in the execution chamber. However, top secret U.S. government Agent "Bob" arranges a staged death, so Maggie can be elaborately trained as a killer. She gets a new cover identity as saleswoman Claudia Anne Doran. She also finds a housemate, building super J.P., a broad-minded, gentle photographer. The two fall in love, and that complicates her government assignments. His influence extends to breeding in her a conscience that supplants her violent tendencies, and desire to continue work for the agency.

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Plot Keywords:

remake of french film | female assassin | hitwoman | pantyhose | woman murders a man | 

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Taglines:

The Government gave her a choice. Death. Or life as an assassin. Now, there's no turning back.

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence, and for language and sexuality

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

19 March 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

Girl No. 5

Filming Locations:

523 Ocean Front Walk, Venice, California, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$7,160,389, 21 March 1993

Gross USA:

$30,038,362

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$30,038,362

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., Art Linson Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min 104 min (TV) 101 min (TV)

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director John Badham's sister, Mary Badham, played Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962). Dermot Mulroney's ex-wife, Catherine Keener, played author Harper Lee, on whom Scout was based, in Capote (2005).

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Goofs

The computer instructor calls the input device he uses a mouse. The proper term for the device with the ball on top however is trackball.

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Quotes

[Bob is waiting for Maggie as she returns from an 'assignment']
Bob: How are you?
Maggie: I just blew up a hotel. How the hell do you think I am?

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Alternate Versions

Because the original version was rated "Not under 18" in Germany, the film had to be cut to receive a "Not under 16" rating for video release and television broadcast. All scenes in which Victor kills somebody with his pistol were cut out. Also some fighting scenes with Maggie were shortened.

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Connections

Remake of La Femme Nikita (1990)

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Soundtracks

Feeling Good
Written by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley
Performed by Nina Simone
Courtesy of Polygram Special Markets, a division of Polygram Group Distribution, Inc.

User Reviews

Violent, stupid but enjoyable

Yes, it's a bad remake of La Femme Nikita--yes, it's overly violent and amoral (but so was the original)--yes, it's REALLY stupid, but I enjoyed it. It moves quickly, Fonda manages to give out a pretty good performance and it's certainly never boring. If you can turn off your brain, and sit through bursts of graphic violence (and a really sick sequence involving Harvey Keitel as "The Cleaner") you should be able to enjoy it. No great movie, just a really good bad movie. Critics predictably hated this movie. There's a now infamous review from the "New Yorker" magazine that's only 9 words long--"The end of French cinema as we know it." Ignore them--this is lots of fun.