Inspired by the two souvenir books published by the Franco-American (Harry and I et Mon secret), the feature film focuses on the ten pivotal years when she became an accomplished artist in the early 1960s.
The road will be difficult as Niki deals with mental health problems linked to serious trauma as well as the social constraints of the time.
A story of emancipation, therefore. Because the young woman first goes through a stay in an institution (and electroshocks…). The desire to create, and to exorcise his fears, saved his life.
Self-taught, she tries to reconcile art and family (she has two children), under the caring and somewhat paternalistic gaze of her writer husband Harry Mathews (John Robinson). Which will also earn him the scathing contempt of the painter Joan Mitchell during a drunken dinner (our national Riopelle will come to Niki’s defense!).
She then joined the New Realists and met Jean Tinguely (Damien Bonnard), who would have a determining influence on her development as an artist, notably her Tirs performances which made her internationally famous – the duo would subsequently create several sculptures monumental works, including those which adorned the French pavilion at the 1967 Expo in Montreal.
Céline Salette had a lucky hand with Charlotte Le Bon, totally embodied, alternating with as much conviction between introspection and attacks of madness. It is true that the Quebecer had a major advantage since, in parallel with her acting career (Yves Saint Laurent) and director (the very beautiful Falcon Lake2022), she also has a career as an artist in the visual arts.
The French actress — seen in Bertrand Bonello and Phillippe Garrel — makes her first feature film as a director here… And she has an eye! Its selection in the Un Certain Regard section of the recent Cannes Film Festival demonstrates this.
Sallette had to deal with a major difficulty. The rights holders of the woman who died in 2002 have for a long time refused to allow the artist’s works to appear in the context of fiction.
The director got around this by centering her remarks (she wrote the screenplay with Samuel Doux) on the person and not the work. Niki’s determination to free herself from the patriarchal shackles and to make herself heard resonates very strongly, even more so today!
Very personal work
Its staging proves to be consistent with the scattered — and very personal — work of Niki de Saint Phalle. Salette alternates fixed shots, sometimes prolonged, with close-ups of the tortured artist’s feverish creation.
The ten-year story is divided into three acts (What Niki prefers to forget; Niki makes his weapons and Niki goes into battle). Here again, the director spares us a banal linearity to recommend progress relying on significant ellipses (with some flashbacks to Niki’s youth, the source of her traumas).
We can only hope that this is just the beginning behind the camera for Céline Salette. Because it looks very promising.
The most fascinating thing remains Niki de Saint Phalle’s journey, her determination to think outside the box. Niki stands out as an inspiring feature film.
Niki is presented in the cinema.
“Niki”, trailer (Axia Films)
In the credits
- Cote: 7/10
- Titre: Niki
- Genre: Biographical drama
- Director: Céline Sallette
- Cast: Charlotte Le Bon, John Robinson, Damien Bonnard
- Duration: 1 hour 38 minutes
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