Tuesday, September 12, 2023

Movie review - "Femme Fatale" (2002) *** (warning: spoilers)

 When in doubt, go a lower budgeted thriller - that worked for De Palma in the 70s, 80s and 90s but not so much this one although it has its fans. It's a fun film with De Palma dipping into his old bag of tricks - identical twins, kidnapping, heists with someone betraying, tracking shot.

Rebecca Romjin Stamos gets the part of a lifetime. She's gorgeous, more so in some outfits than others. Not quite a star but in her defence a lot of it she's not talking - when she gets to chat a bit like with Antonio Banderas, she comes alive, has more of a character to play.

 Banderas has fun as a paparazzo. Peter Coyote adds some American flavour as the American ambassador (maybe the film would've done better in the US with more American characters). The opening robbery is great. There's long scenes with no dialogue, Twists. Shift of perception.

The film is based on the fact that Stamos' dreams come true, I think. Which is silly. A lot of it is silly but it goes there. The pace flagged here and there but it was entertaining. It felt fulfilled.

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