Femme Fatale (2002)

Regisseur:

Brian De Palma

Drehbuchautor (WGA):

Brian De Palma (written by)

Premierendatum:

6. November 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Thriller | Krimi | Fantasy

Werbezeile:

Nothing is more desirable or more deadly than a woman with a secret

Plot:

A woman tries to straighten out her life, even as her past as a con-woman comes back to haunt her.

Plot Keywords:

Suspense | Female Nudity | Box Office Flop | Beautiful Woman | Lesbianism

Filmpreise:

1 win & 1 nomination

Nutzerkommentare:

Auteur theory is alive and well with De Palma

Besetzung

Rebecca Romijn	...	Laure / Lily (as Rebecca Romijn-Stamos)
Antonio Banderas	...	Nicolas Bardo
Peter Coyote	...	Watts
Eriq Ebouaney	...	Black Tie
Edouard Montoute	...	Racine
Rie Rasmussen	...	Veronica
Thierry Frémont	...	Serra (as Thierry Fremont)
Gregg Henry	...	Shiff
Fiona Curzon	...	Stanfield Phillips
Daniel Milgram	...	Pierre / Bartender
Jean-Marc Minéo	...	Seated Guard (as Jean-Marc Mineo)
Jean Chatel	...	Cannes Commentator
Stéphane Petit	...	Bodyguard One (as Stephane Petit)
Olivier Follet	...	Bodyguard Two
Eva Darlan	...	Irma

MPAA:

Rated R for strong sexuality, violence and language.

Länge:

114 Min

Produktionsland:

France

Sprache:

Englisch | Französisch

Farbe:

Farbe

Seitenverhältnis:

1.85 : 1

Tonverfahren:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Altersfreigabe:

Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Iceland:16 | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Finland:K-15 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Zurich) | Canada:18A (Alberta/British Columbia) | Portugal:M/12 | South Korea:18 | Argentina:13 | Australia:MA | Brazil:16 | Chile:14 | France:U | Germany:16 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R18 | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Singapore:R(A) | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R | Philippines:R-18

Drehorte:

Cannes, Alpes-Maritimes, France

Firma:

Epsilon Motion Pictures

Dies und das:

The film supposedly takes place at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival, even though the premiere that was recreated for the opening of the film is for "East-West", which actually premiered in 1999. The real director Régis Wargnier and the star of the film Sandrine Bonnaire appear as themselves.

Pannen:

Abfolgefehler: In the pan from Bardo's balcony to the Cafe table we see the "Deja Vu" poster being rolled up before the "Gala" poster is installed. When it cuts back to the poster kiosk, the "Deja Vu" poster is crumpled, as if it was never rolled at all.

Dialogzitate:

Nicolas Bardo: I have never kidnapped anyone you bitch.

Bezüge zu anderen Titeln:

Verweis/Anspielung/Erwähnung in Film Geek (2005)

Soundtrack:

Altar

Auteur theory is alive and well with De Palma

Mr. De Palma is not a critics' darling, and as such his latest, Femme Fatale, has come in for his usual roasting. Is it deserved? Not if you love a film that embraces the visual splendour and techniques that make cinema a unique art form.

Femme Fatale sees De Palma returning to his forte: the suspense thriller. It is a welcome return considering his recent fare have seen him straying to more mainstream efforts - Mission to Mars, Mission: Impossible - that were shells of his virtuoso films of the late 70s and early 80s.

The film leads off with a stunning 20-minute Jewel heist sequence that takes place during the Cannes film festival of 2001. Completely bereft of dialogue, a la Topkapi, Rebecca Romijn-Stamos's character has the enviable task of lifting a diamond dress from Rie Rasmussun in a bathroom encounter. His first original screenplay in 10 years, De Palma writes a tightly-plotted tale that certainly does not lead the audience by the hand, and the resulting twists it provides will allow different perspectives on the film's events with repeat viewings.

Antonio Banderas - usually lost without cause if not working with Robert Rodriguez - does what he needs to do with efficiency; Romijn-Stamos, the Femme Fatale of the title, provides the eye candy. The acting is not top drawer, but it does not need to be: we're here to see an auteur in his element: De Palma delivers. Cinema is more than a stage with a camera - De Palma uses his camera and cinema technique to brilliant effect. Huge swooping camera movements, split-screen, slow motion sequences, no dialogue and an enveloping orchestral score; De Palma's signature is prevalent. And that is good: a director should never be an autonomous entity, happy to turn out derivative drivel that get the masses in and out - directors for hire are too commonplace in Hollywood today - and that is something that De Palma could never be accused of.

Femme Fatale is a great example of a director working in a genre he loves and understands, and given the freedom to create. Total cinema? Its smell is sure intoxicating. Welcome back, Mr. De Palma.