Femme Fatale (2002)

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

Director:

Brian De Palma

Writer:

Brian De Palma

Stars:

Rebecca Romijn, Antonio Banderas, Peter Coyote

2 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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
Éva Darlan	...	Irma (as Eva Darlan)

Storyline

The thief Laurie Ash steals the expensive diamond jewel called 'Eye of the Serpent' in an audacious heist during an exhibition in Cannes 2001 Festival. She double-crosses her partners and is mistakenly taken as Lily, a woman who lost her husband and son in an accident and is missing since then, by an ordinary family. One day, while having bath in Lily's bathtub, Lily comes back home and commits suicide. Laurie assumes definitely Lily's identity, goes to America where she marries a rich man, who becomes the Ambassador of USA in France. When Laurie returns to France, her past haunts her.

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Plot Keywords:

breast play | full frontal female nudity | lesbian sex from behind | female protagonist | sex on a pool table | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong sexuality, violence and language

Details

Official Sites:

Warner Bros.

Country:

France Switzerland

Language:

English French Spanish

Release Date:

6 November 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

Femme Fatale

Filming Locations:

11 Rue d'Eupatoria, Paris 20, Paris, France

Box Office

Budget:

$35,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,776,248, 10 November 2002

Gross USA:

$6,630,252

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$16,838,910

Company Credits

Production Co:

Quinta Communications, Epsilon Motion Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

114 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Early in the movie, a security technician drinks from a distinctive pear-shaped bottle. This is Orangina, a carbonated citrus-flavored soft drink that is very popular in Europe.

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Goofs

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, had it been shown at Cannes, would have been shown in 1998 or 1999. The real director Régis Wargnier and the star of the film Sandrine Bonnaire appear as themselves.

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Quotes

Laure Ash: You know why no good deed goes unpunished? Because this world is hell and you're nothing but a fucking patsy.

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Connections

Referenced in Femme Fatale: Behind the Scenes (2003)

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Soundtracks

Télégraphe Beats
Performed by Vicarious Bliss
Written and Produced by Andy Gardiner
(c) Vicarious Bliss/Universal Music France 2001

User Reviews

I Would Expect Much More Than That for a Brian De Palma Movie

The thief Laurie Ash (Rebecca Romijn-Stamos) steals the expensive diamond jewel called 'Eye of the Serpent' in an audacious heist during an exhibition in Cannes 2001 Festival. She double-crosses her partners and is mistakenly taken as Lily, a woman who lost her husband and son in an accident and is missing since then, by an ordinary family. One day, while having bath in Lily's bathtub, Lily comes back home and commits suicide. Laurie assumes definitely Lily's identity, goes to America where she marries a rich man, who becomes the Ambassador of USA in France. When Laurie returns to France, her past haunts her.

"Femme Fatale" is a confused movie and the flawed plot presents many points not well-explained. For example, why should Laurie leave the safety of living in USA, having a fortune from the robbery (and maybe from a divorce from a rich man), and comes back to France, where she could feel jeopardized by her past? Certainly It would not be to stay with her "beloved-husband" in Paris. Therefore, there is no plausible explanation for her return to Paris. Further, divorces are common in America, so it would be very easy to her to resolve her problem. In addition, this situation of double life has been successfully explored in many movies, like for example by David Lynch in "Lost Highway" and "Mulholland Drive". The use of a classic scene (in this movie, 'Double Indemnity') is also very common technique. I would expect much more than that for a Brian De Palma film but in the end it is entertains. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Femme Fatale"