In 2002, writer/director Brian De Palma once again put pen to paper and created another one of his unique homages to classic cinema (the first in ten years). Titled Femme Fatale, the director lets us follow his own take on the legendary film noir bad girls of old.
Rebecca Romijn (Stamos back in 2002) stars as Laure Ash, a woman involved in a complex jewel heist at the Cannes Film Festival in France. The goal is to remove millions of dollars worth of diamonds off of a model’s outlandish outfit. With the help of her two partners, ‘Black Tie’ (Eriq Ebouaney) and Racine (Edouard Montoute), the heist runs relatively smoothly until a hiccup occurs. With that opening, in true femme fatale form, Laure sneaks away with the diamonds, double-crossing her team and making her a marked woman.
To add a gothic tinge, Laure is mistaken for another lady named Lily. She takes her doppelgänger’s place and on a flight to America, she meets and later marries a businessman named Watts (Peter Coyote).
Flash forward seven years and we see Laure returning to France with her husband (the new American ambassador) while ‘Black Tie’ is released from jail for taking the rap on the jewel heist. Trying to keep her identity secret, Laure will not allow herself to be photographed.
Enter Nicolas Bardo (Antonio Banderas), a hired paparazzi that snaps a shot of the lady but then get intertwined in her seductive web. She manipulates the man, realizing that using him may be the only way out for her now that the image is plastered around the city. Laure is able to create a complex kidnaping plot around the photographer. Though hesitant, she convinces him to play the role of the criminal and the newly formed couple meet Watts on a bridge to take the ransom money. With her two former criminal partners finally tracking her down, everything comes together for the first of two climaxes in the film. That is all I am going to say about the plot so that the twists remain undiscovered.
De Palma’s take on a film noir is an interesting one. We know what we are in store for from the beginning, as we witness Laure while she watches the climax of Double Indemnity (perhaps taking pointers from the greatest of femme fatales Phyllis Dietrichson – Barbara Stanwyck). Though we know what to expect from her, the script is harder to read. Complexly put together, De Palma plays around with fate, dreams, time, ‘the double’ and other interesting devices.
The acting is also worth analyzing. Banderas does solid work as the manipulated man. Coyote is strong as the man who is duped by a seemingly innocent lover. Look for Gregg Henry (a Brian De Palma regular collaborator) as Witts’ and Laure’s head of security. Also, Rebecca Romijn does an admirable job as Laure/Lily. Though her accents are not always spot on, her seductive nature mixed with her powerful presence (while throwing in weakness and innocence when needed) cannot be denied. Watch for her transformation over the duration of the film. Finally, listen for John Stamos, who is the voice of the cheesy agent that phones Banderas’ character.
There are many scenes to watch for. The opening heist scene is beautifully captured (sometimes resembling De Palma’s other mystery Mission Impossible), mixing interesting shots with seductive and violent touches. The second climax is breathtaking, bringing together tiny hints from earlier on mixed with other elements from the script and a substantial twist to boot.
De Palma’s set pieces are truly amazing – he instinctively knows when to use slow motion and is always able to evoke the most impressive visuals and suspense from his intense takes. His visuals cannot be denied, from dream-like tones to soft-core tinges, De Palma captures a little bit of everything in this motion picture. Also watch for the director’s symbolic use of water, as well as time and dream-like connections to truly enjoy the whole experience.
Femme Fatale is an interesting crime film with many neo-noir touches. It encompasses a complex script, some great twists, solid acting and always brilliant visuals. It also features the beautiful backdrop of France. So enjoy this noir movie, it will have you seeing the light.