A fascinating look at a sad & mysterious woman whose music was a deep, dark gaze into the pit of existence. If you have never heard Nico, then by all means, you must see this film. Fans will love it regardless, but the uninitiated have the most to gain. The facts of her life are chronicled, but numerous attempts by friends & acquaintances to describe who Nico was are fruitless. One realizes by the end of the film that Nico was so elusive, much like her music, that attempts to describe who she was tend to reveal more about the speaker, than they do about Nico. Someone says that Nico, who had been a model first, always hated being complimented on her beauty. The speaker suggests that it must have been some German perversity. He then explains how she proceeded to continually attempt to make herself ugly. Another person says "No one loved Nico & Nico loved no one" - a haunting statement that points to the isolation that Nico experienced. When she was beautiful, she was adored, so she destroyed heself & watched (& cried beautiful melodies) as everyone in her life capitulated. One of the finest scenes in the film finds Nico's Aunt looking over pictures & press clippings of the girl she helped raise. She speaks of Nico in adoring terms, referring to her as a princess. We then see her listening to Nico & The Velvets, gazing into the sky, lightly singing along, then shedding tears. It is a striking scene, as a tight & proper, matronly German figure crosses the boundary to an underground youth culture, that is so divorced from her world, yet bridged by her love for Nico. A great documentary of a performer who was well ahead of her time.
Reviews
2 Reviews
Private Parts
(1997)
The almost true story of the King of All Media?
28 December 1998
Having been a Stern Fan since '84, I had the great opportunity to live through most of what Private Parts chronicles as Stern's NBC experience. While some of the events portrayed in the film may be out of sequence & even punched up for the film's audience, the fact remains that Private Parts most unbelievable scenes are absolutely & positively true. Where does the film fudge the truth? Little things like Stern's "look". The long hair & sunglasses shown in his Wash D.C. days didn't occur until after Stern was fired from NBC. And the redhead / bathtub scene, that is actually part of an incident that occurred with Jessican Hahn. But the real outrageous things, like learning to say the call letters properly (W-ENNN-B-C!), the fist fight in Pig Virus's office & the pure jealousy of Imus were 100% on target. This is a great film which could only have been made better by the addition of WNBC facts like Stern's on-air feuds with Soupy Sales, & the utter destruction & disappearance of WNBC radio as a result of Stern's departure. A must see romantic comedy.
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