Palmetto (1998)

User Rating:

5.6/10   

Director:

Volker Schlöndorff

Writers (WGA):

James Hadley Chase (novel)
E. Max Frye (screenplay)

Release Date:

20 February 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

In a town this bad, it's hard to be good...

Plot:

A recently released ex-con gets involved in a fake kidnapping scheme that turns very real.

Plot Keywords:

Fake Kidnapping | Prison | Scam | Release From Prison | Press Conference

Cast

Woody Harrelson	...	Harry Barber
Elisabeth Shue	...	Mrs. Donnelly / Rhea Malroux
Gina Gershon	...	Nina
Rolf Hoppe	...	Felix Malroux
Michael Rapaport	...	Donnely
Chloë Sevigny	...	Odette (as Chloe Sevigny)
Tom Wright	...	John Renick
Marc Macaulay	...	Miles Meadows
Joe Hickey	...	Lawyer
Ralph Wilcox	...	Judge
Peter Paul DeLeo	...	Bartender (as Peter Paul Deleo)
Hal Jones	...	Ed
Salvador Levy	...	Driver
Richard Booker	...	Billy Holden
Mikki Scanlon	...	Alda renick (as Mikki McKeever)

Also Known As:

Dumme sterben nicht aus
Just Another Sucker (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for sexuality, language and some violence.

Runtime:

114 min

Country:

Germany | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Iceland:16 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Germany:12 | Portugal:M/16 | South Korea:18 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Florida, USA

Company:

Castle Rock Entertainment

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When on the beach, walking to the right of the screen, you can see a camera man carrying his equipment.

Quotes:

[first lines]
[palmetto bug chirping over typical prison sounds]
Harry Barber: They're not as bad as you might think. In fact, sometimes they're pretty good company.
[pause]
Harry Barber: And you can get used to just about anything in prison, even a palmetto bug.
[pause]
Harry Barber: I tried writing again. Nothing came out that didn't sound bitter and cynical. And there's nothing worse than a writer who doesn't have anything to say.
[pause]
Harry Barber: Well... that's me, Harry Barber.

Riveting thriller.

Apart from one central problem (Elisabeth Shue certainly has the body, but not the inherent tough-girl attitude her role requires; in other words, she's miscast), I personally cannot understand how anyone can claim to be a mystery fan and not like this movie. Absorbing storytelling (which takes its time), some tense moments (the body in the car trunk) and many great, totally unpredictable surprises that even the most hardened genre buffs will not guess. Riveting and interesting from beginning to end. (***)