...suspenseful and sensuous, exasperatingly preposterous, and almost every minute entertaining.
The highlight of the film is not so much its plot or characters, however, as it is De Palma's visual style. This particular mode of operation is, of course, similar to what we've seen in his films before, but it is the man's personal cinematic style that sets him apart, and to watch his work is often dazzling. Take the opening sequence, for example, with De Palma's camera gliding effortlessly in and about the Cannes sets in a continuous, smoothly undulating manner accompanied by a tune reminiscent of Ravel's "Bolero." The camera is every bit as slippery as a snake, and we know that any minute something risky (and risqué) is about to occur.
Then there's the seduction scene in a Cannes theater ladies' room, reminiscent of the opening scenes in "Carrie" and "Dressed to Kill," performed behind clouded glass and even more erotic in content. De Palma uses his entire repertoire of photographic technique in "Femme Fatale," from split screens to overhead views, from slow motion to point-of-view shots, from his patented play with mirrors to a perpetual use of running water. Symbols, tricks, effects, ruses, feints, maneuvers, fancy cinematography, and composer Ryuichi Sakamoto's Bernard Herrmann-like score are all at De Palma's disposal. And while many viewers will find his style overwrought, affected, and highly imitative of everything he has already done, I found the approach, like the film, largely engrossing. To put it simply, the film is fun.
Video:
There's little to say about the picture quality except that it is about what one has come to expect from a modern movie reproduced on a new DVD. The anamorphic widescreen dimensions measure approximately 1.74:1 across a normal TV, and the image produced is relatively clean and smooth. Colors are vividly rendered, definition is good, De Palma's use of light and shadow show up well, and there are very few wavering lines. No complaints.
Audio:
The Dolby Digital 5.1 audio is also good, in a most unspectacular way. That is, the front channels convey a wide left-to-right stereo spread, frequency balance is linear, bass is robust, and dynamics are strong. The surround channels, however, are used sparingly, if at all. When they do come into play, they effectively reinforce ambient sounds and music. Typical of most current movies, dialogue is kept centered no matter from where the characters are speaking. The sound does its job without calling undue attention to itself, which is what I've always believed a good soundtrack and a good sound mix should do.
Extras:
There are four separate featurettes included among the bonus features, which while informative tend to be a bit redundant. The most important is called "Femme Fatale: An Appreciation," lasting some twenty-three minutes and saying about as much as we need to know about the making of the film and the intentions of its writer-director. The others are "Visualizing Femme Fatale," eleven minutes; "Femme Fatale: Dressed to Kill," two minutes; and "Behind the Scenes," four minutes. Then, there are cast and crew filmographies, twenty-nine scene selections, and two theatrical trailers, one in English and one in French. English and French are included as spoken language choices, with English, French, and Spanish for subtitles.
Parting Thoughts:
Although "Femme Fatale" is highly derivative of everything De Palma has done before, the resultant work remains original in its own right and fascinating throughout. You may feel cheated or hoodwinked by the time it's over, but that's part of the game. The movie is suspenseful and sensuous, exasperatingly preposterous, and almost every minute entertaining. Sure, it requires a healthy suspension of disbelief; it's what motion pictures are all about.
Despite its being a pretty good film, "Femme Fatale" did poorly at the box office. I don't know if it was because the public found its Hitchcockian-De Palman noir mystery old fashioned and passé or because people heard the film was too gimmicky and offbeat for their taste. After all, you'll find no spectacle, spies, or superheroes anywhere in it. Maybe the public just didn't like or didn't understand the title. Still, the DVD could attract an audience the movie theater did not; we'll see. "Femme Fatale" is rated R for nudity, profanity, violence, and sexual situations.
Then there's the seduction scene in a Cannes theater ladies' room, reminiscent of the opening scenes in "Carrie" and "Dressed to Kill," performed behind clouded glass and even more erotic in content. De Palma uses his entire repertoire of photographic technique in "Femme Fatale," from split screens to overhead views, from slow motion to point-of-view shots, from his patented play with mirrors to a perpetual use of running water. Symbols, tricks, effects, ruses, feints, maneuvers, fancy cinematography, and composer Ryuichi Sakamoto's Bernard Herrmann-like score are all at De Palma's disposal. And while many viewers will find his style overwrought, affected, and highly imitative of everything he has already done, I found the approach, like the film, largely engrossing. To put it simply, the film is fun.
Video:
There's little to say about the picture quality except that it is about what one has come to expect from a modern movie reproduced on a new DVD. The anamorphic widescreen dimensions measure approximately 1.74:1 across a normal TV, and the image produced is relatively clean and smooth. Colors are vividly rendered, definition is good, De Palma's use of light and shadow show up well, and there are very few wavering lines. No complaints.
Audio:
The Dolby Digital 5.1 audio is also good, in a most unspectacular way. That is, the front channels convey a wide left-to-right stereo spread, frequency balance is linear, bass is robust, and dynamics are strong. The surround channels, however, are used sparingly, if at all. When they do come into play, they effectively reinforce ambient sounds and music. Typical of most current movies, dialogue is kept centered no matter from where the characters are speaking. The sound does its job without calling undue attention to itself, which is what I've always believed a good soundtrack and a good sound mix should do.
Extras:
There are four separate featurettes included among the bonus features, which while informative tend to be a bit redundant. The most important is called "Femme Fatale: An Appreciation," lasting some twenty-three minutes and saying about as much as we need to know about the making of the film and the intentions of its writer-director. The others are "Visualizing Femme Fatale," eleven minutes; "Femme Fatale: Dressed to Kill," two minutes; and "Behind the Scenes," four minutes. Then, there are cast and crew filmographies, twenty-nine scene selections, and two theatrical trailers, one in English and one in French. English and French are included as spoken language choices, with English, French, and Spanish for subtitles.
Parting Thoughts:
Although "Femme Fatale" is highly derivative of everything De Palma has done before, the resultant work remains original in its own right and fascinating throughout. You may feel cheated or hoodwinked by the time it's over, but that's part of the game. The movie is suspenseful and sensuous, exasperatingly preposterous, and almost every minute entertaining. Sure, it requires a healthy suspension of disbelief; it's what motion pictures are all about.
Despite its being a pretty good film, "Femme Fatale" did poorly at the box office. I don't know if it was because the public found its Hitchcockian-De Palman noir mystery old fashioned and passé or because people heard the film was too gimmicky and offbeat for their taste. After all, you'll find no spectacle, spies, or superheroes anywhere in it. Maybe the public just didn't like or didn't understand the title. Still, the DVD could attract an audience the movie theater did not; we'll see. "Femme Fatale" is rated R for nudity, profanity, violence, and sexual situations.
Average user rating (1-5):