Femme Fatale
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Movie Reviews of Femme Fatale
Movie Review: Femme Fatale
Summary: 5 Stars
Brian DePalma has a delightfully wicked sense of irony, and a twisted sense of humor which is sadly lacking and sorely missed in today's overly self-serious pop culture. This makes watching Femme Fatale feel fresh and exciting, even though such irony was a prime staple of movies in the '70's -- a decade largely regarded as DePalma's prime. That is when he directed Carrie, Phantom of the Paradise & Dressed to Kill, among others. The Femme Fatale in this movie is a diamond thief/con-artist named Laure who assumes the identity of another woman to escape some partners she double crossed. She is wonderfully evil, and great fun to watch as she manipulates the men around her using her body and her tears in order to get what she wants.
But there is a great deal more of this movie to love. Brian DePalma delights in playing tricks with cinematic conventions both narrative and visual. His love for unusual camera angles is still present in this film, which delivers a plot that twists and turns as seductively as Laure's strip tease. I picked up clues as to one major plot twist early on, hoping I would be wrong. I was partly right, DePalma took something that would have left me groaning in lesser hands and twisted it so that I was laughing with delight as the climax approached.
DePalma has also mellowed out a bit with this movie. Much of his prior films would feature gallons of bright red blood and gruesome, creative, deaths of beautiful women. This film keeps much of the fake blood away from the women, cutting away from any of their more potentially gruesome death scenes.
This movie is highly rescommended to those who enjoy being surprised. Watch it. You may think you have it figured out, but there is no way anyone could guess the ending. As the credits start to roll, you will realise that you were in the hands of a cinematic master with an impish sense of humor.
Movie Review: Femme Fatale excellent transfer to DVD
Summary: 5 Stars
This movie was the "love it!" or "hate it!" experience of 2002. It's a Brian De Palma affair, and if you liked DRESSED TO KILL and BODY DOUBLE you will love it! I thought it was a fun erotic ride with a lot of style. Beautifully photographed, and teasingly esoteric - it became sort of a "what if De Palma made MULHOLLAND DRIVE". Sit back and have a lot of fun! At it's heart this is just a big beautiful popcorn movie! The performances of the actors are surprisingly fun. Rebecca Romijin Stamos plays the lead role, and she's sexy and fun. She's been a victim of weak scripts for some time, and here she emerges as a very capable and strong actress. Antonio Banderas plays a European paparazzi who falls into the web. He's playful and quick!
The DVD has a great transfer of the film! Included are many featurettes with interviews of almost everyone involved. Brian De Palma never records commentaries for his DVDs, but he does do interviews which plunge the depths of anything you might want to know. There are two trailers - one foreign and one domestic. The French trailer is a real treat! It shows the entire film in high speed from opening credits to final, and then teases you with "You just saw the new Brian De Palma film ... didn't get it? ... try again!" The perfect sentiment to this film! Either you get it or you don't.
Roger Ebert named it one of the best films of the year, other critics either praised it or panned it. There was no middle ground! But the passion for film-making is here - the joy and the style make it infectious. A movie you can watch again and again!
Movie Review: Femme Fatale - Excellent and Overlooked
Summary: 5 Stars
To view Brian DePalma as simply another thriller does the movie injustice. This movie is about the voyeurism that pervades in the world today. In the very first scene of the movie, you see Rebecca Romijn-Stamos watching Double Indemnity. Her image is plastered on the screen of the movie. Visually, DePalma is telling us that she is projecting herself into this movie. Later in the movie, DePalma uses split screens and other tricks to display how everyone is watching everyone else. Antonio Banderas actually plays a papparazo in the movie who watches Stamos' every move. It is not surprising then that a major part of this movie is Stamos' jewel thief taking on the role of her French look alike. She has a tendency like most Americans to project herself into the lives of others. Rather than living their own lives, all of the characters watch others or pretend to be someone other than themselves. DePalma has created a suspense movie, yes, but the movie's real story lies purely in visual storytelling. Much like David Lynch, DePalma loves to tell stories visually, and most people who see the movies will admit the slick visuals while remaining oblivious of what the images are telling them. Only upon carefully watching the movie more than once does the mastery of DePalma's use of style and technique make itself apparent. Like with Lynch's Mullholland Drive and some of DePalma's earlier works, this is a movie attempting to truly see movies rather than just hear them.Movie Review: One of the best thrillers in years!
Summary: 5 Stars
A very good friend of mine, whose taste in films is very discerning, raved about this film to me. I was quite suprised as the reviews had been generally lukewarm. I rented the tape and agree with my friend that this is a wonderfully conceived and crafted film. I would say that it is one of De Palma's strongest films. It works on all levels and is definitely the best thriller that I have seen in years.I don't want to give away too much of the plot as to spoil some rich and rewarding suprises. Suffice it to say that it is recommended that as you watch the movie, know that the end will show a very different picture of what morally and emotionally is occurring in the movie.
The screenplay is excellent. Although the plot is rather complex, in the best tradition of Hitchcock, the viewer is never lost or baffled by what is going on. The movie also deals with the results of our actions and how we can change them. What we do for others does affect what happens to us, according to Mr. De Palma.
Be forwarned, however, that this movie is not for the prudish. There is a rather erotic lesbian scene (both women are stunning) and there is an outlandish strip scene featuring Rebecca Romijn-Stamos. The outlandishness makes more sense cinematically when the movie is resolved.
If you love intelligent, creative film noir movies, see this film with pleasure.
Movie Review: Unquestionably a masterpiece, how can anyone say otherwise ?
Summary: 5 Stars
I was so overwhelmed by the script, glorius visuals, inticate scores, and the 'cant take my offs you' presence of the lead actress, that I am extremely concerned about anyone who could ever call such a film rubbish.seriously, every scene in this film is painstainkingly and so beatifully lit, directed and filmed, that it can not be described asnything other than art of the highest calibre.
Very much in the David Lynch style of story telling, I would say this film is on par with Lynch at his best, albeit without the darkness and madness that underline Lynchs film.
DePalma is clearly a master of filmaking, and his previous films prove how good he can be. I would rate this and scarface as the pinnacle of his career.
If you can watch this film, with its erotic and very sexy seduction scenes, glorius camera angles, perfect lighting, editing and scene production, and simply say the film was average, or poor, makes me very worried about the state of the human race.
Whats the future, when art becomes classified boring, and fifth rate stick-to-formula cops and robbers type films become seen as excellent ?
This film is amongst the absolute best i have ever seen, and I rate directors/writers such as Stone, Lynch, Kubrick very highly.
Miss it at your loss. this is one movie for those who have emotions, and other senses that are still very much alive.