Stylish Femme

I went into Femme Fatale wondering two things: one, if model-turned-actress Rebecca Romijn-Stamos could carry a movie by herself; two, if writer/director Brian De Palma could carry out both his duties better than he did in Snake Eyes. The answer to both, unfortunately, is no. But, the movie is not without a lot of bright spots--most notably the amazing visuals for which director De Palma is well-known.

Romijn-Stamos thoroughly disappoints as a completely predictable, well, femme fatale. The movie opens showcasing a common theme--her I-won-first-prize-in-the-genetic-lotto body. She's working a jewel heist at Cannes Film Festival and her cover, of all things, is as a lesbian photographer, 'cause why the hell not? Ever the seductress, she lures a model wearing little but a gold and diamond snake wrapped around her svelte frame into a public bathroom for a heavy-petting session. These things happen every day, right? Meanwhile, the rest of the team moves into position, but honestly, everyone in the theater was still distracted by the lesbian scene. The heist is going off without a hitch until Romijn-Stamos screws the rest of the team harder than the model and makes a break for Paris while they do hard time.

Through a large number of plot twists, she meets up with Antonio Banderas, among others, whom, surprise, surprise, she gets naked for and does the nasty with a couple of times. Basically, the girl's a master manipulator and seductress, as you'll see over and over. While this could have been saved by a more skilled practitioner--see Linda Fiorentino in The Last Seduction--she seems to have grown little as a dark/sexy actress since her portrayal of Mystic in X-Men three years ago.

Of course, the characterization is not entirely her fault. De Palma seems to fare best when he concentrates fully on direction, like in Scarface and Mission: Impossible, and doesn't bother with the writing like he did in Snake Eyes. His characters are dull, flat and formulaic--if only he had enlisted some writing help, he would have had a script worthy of the film's stunning visuals.

And completely stunning they are. I could watch the movie with earplugs in and still love it. I never tire of the pans, fade-away shots, split screens and interesting angles that characterize his flicks. In the opening sequence, he only allows Romijn-Stamos' face to be seen in shadow until the heist is well underway-a masterful visual job of foreshadowing the elusiveness of her visage throughout the film. The Hitchcockian influence is ever-present, but never dull.

Overall, if you're not looking for an exhilarating visual experience or a stunning view of Romijn-Stamos body, stay away.