Long derided for ripping off Alfred Hitchcock, Brian De Palma instead entered the new millennium with an erotic thriller that looks like he’s ripping off Brian De Palma ripping off Alfred Hitchcock. I generally love the guy, but Femme Fatale is one of his worst pervo-mysterioso efforts (but not at bad as the utterly flaccid The Black Dahlia).
Rebecca Romjin (then using her brief “-Stamos” tag) stars as a double-crossing diamond thief who escapes her Parisian partners by assuming the identity of a dead woman. As that ruse starts to unravel, she attempts to use disgraced paparazzi photographer Nicolas Bardo (Antonio Banderas, Desperado) to protect herself and make off with millions of dollars.
The plot is overly complex for a script so simple-minded, and seems to exist only for the clever, it-all-comes-together ending, rendered in De Palma’s usual slow-motion style. It’s a set piece that, like Fatale‘s opening bathroom seduction at the Cannes Film Festival, is the kind of thing that De Palma does so damned well. It’s everything in between that he does not so well, and as writer and director, he has no one to blame but himself.
Romjin actually acquits herself quite admirably and manages to bare her breasts. She gets a lot more dialogue than she did as blue-skinned seductress Mystique in the X-Men franchise; unfortunately, a lot of that dialogue is along the lines of “You don’t have to lick my ass — just fuck me!” —Rod Lott
I saw this in the theatre when it came out, but don’t remember much about it. I do remember liking it, though. Probably have to watch it again to see if naked Rebecca holds up.
Shame you didn’t like this one more – for me this is one of De Palma’s best films. Yes, it does feel at times likes a greatest hits compilation, but it is all made so superbly – the long delayed reveal of Laure’s face, the brilliantly choreographed opening sequence shot and the really impressive jewel heist, the wonderful dream sequences, the amazing finale with that great underwater shot. A lot of the dialogue is mannered but to me this seemed a deliberate choice and part of the design as Laure is forever playing games and some of the villains’ dialogue int eh subtiutles, which is amde up entirely of movie cliches, doesn;t match what the actors are actually saying which I thought was very clever – in many ways it reminded me a lot of David Lynch. Many of its images (like the photographer waiting for the clouds to move) are indelibly etched in my mind.
Ebert gave this one four stars if I recall correctly. I gave it one boner.
I have to admit I liked this well enough. Stupid, yes. Style over substance, yes. But, hey, no one does stupid and stylistic like DePalma.