Dr. DVD

Judging from these reveiws, I can find a better way to spend my time. Think I'll catch AOTC Imax instead.

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/FemmeFatale-1118216/

joltaddict

Whats he got to do to impress you? Make a movie with no actors?

Dr. DVD

No, he just has to make a movie that doesn't seem to stress style over substance. Leaving Antonio Banderas out of Femme Fatale would have been a good way to win me back as well. I'm sorry, but I just lose respect for any director that casts him in a serious role. Aside from Desperado, he has yet to leave an impression on me as a "serious" actor.

marty888

Here's Roger Ebert's FOUR STAR **** review, which contains a wonderful appreciation for DePalma's career:

http://www.suntimes.com/output/ebert...r-femme06.html

Please note: I have used a newly developed anti Ebert-Bashing spray all over this forum, so if you wanna bash Ebert, don't threadcrap here - start your own thread.

P.S. - I'm heading out the door right now for a 1:15 showing.

Dr. DVD

Okay then. Ebert giving a movie four stars makes me less likely to see it. Sorry, but he is really losing credibility fast.

Pants

Well since Desperado wasn't a serious film in any way I don't see how it could have made an impression on you that he is a "serious" actor.

Dr. DVD

That wasn't my argument. Desperado was the only thing I saw him in that gave me the impression he had the potential to be one. The film was not serious (though that is debatable) in the modern sense, but then again it is getting harder to determine what is meant as camp and what isn't nowadays.


That said, I think I'll take a bite this afternoon and see if this movie is worth anything. If it is as bad as Snake Eyes or M2M, I am blaming you guys for arguing in its defense. This is one film that I know darn well if I don't catch it, I'll just be killed with not knowing what it was like. On the flip side, it is a movie that I know darn well I might not even make it through a DVD showing if the power to turn it off at any time were in my hands.

marty888

Let's try this again....

Please note: ... if you wanna bash Ebert, don't threadcrap here - start your own thread.


Talk about losing crediblity....

Sunday Morning

One of the best films of the year. Period.

joltaddict

Hey now, Im defending Depalma, I havent even seen this yet!

Dr. DVD

Saw it. I kept an open mind. I didn't want to pre-judge or say it stunk without a viewing. Well, once again I made a mistake by keeping an open mind and should have trusted my instincts.
The first few minutes were entertaining, and I did walk in about five minutes into the movie. (I arrived when all of the laser cutting was going on and Rebecca was about to get all funky with the chick wearing the diamond bra.) Granted, RRS looked damn hot, and if watching her do lesbian action, stripteases, and full frontal nudity(at least I think that was her body in the water sequence) sells you, then by all means go and see it. DePalma has made some good films, but this one really leaves much to be desired. For the most part it left me .

In terms of Ebert bashing, I was merely stating my personal opinion of him. Sometimes he is one of the few critics I agree with on what makes a good film. Most of the time he is, but he hasn't been as of late. That's why his reviews make me wary.

Care to elaborate? I refuse to accept that on your word alone. I do not intend to further bash the film, if someone could explain it in a little more detail than DePalma did, I might figure out that I like it. I just don't like it right now and am glad that I had my Attack of the Clones IMAX experience awaiting me after I finished this movie.

Sunday Morning

I'm not asking you to accept that on my word. It's just my opinion on the film. It wasn't a review directed at you or your dislike of the film.

It's Brian depalma's best in a long, long time.
A return to a genre he knows well, does well and should keep making films in. I was totally entertained by it, It made me think, it was ludicrious, it was funny, it was mesmerizing, it was what a film in this genre should be. These other directors who make modern day thrillers should hang their heads low in shame.

Oh, By the way, Dr. Dvd...


What other recent thrillers can say so much visually and be so much fun at the same time?

marty888

I agree completely! When it was over, I was thinking that here was a movie for movie-lovers, made by a man who obviously loves movies himself. Then I came across the following from rave review in the L.A.Times:

"The film has the high-buffed gloss and high-octane jolts you expect of De Palma, but what makes it transporting is that it's also one of the smartest, most pleasurable expressions of pure movie love to come from an American director in years."
-- Manohla Dargis, LOS ANGELES TIMES

This is pure movie joy, although people who think Jackass has anything to do with movies will surely be disappointed.

Dr. DVD

Oh well, guess I'll have to see it again.

In all honesty, whether or not I like it this time will make no difference whatsoever in terms of this film's success. I am sure it will bomb because of lack of interest.

Could someone please post a spoiler filled synopsis to tell me what to look for second time around? I really must have missed something.

Dr. DVD

Here's Peter Travers review, guess he nailed what it's about.

How's this for openers? Laure (Rebecca Romijn-Stamos) corners Veronica (Rie Rasmussen) in a restroom at the Cannes Film Festival, slips off the gold, diamond-encrusted serpent thingie curled around Veronica's boobs and replaces it with a fake one without Veronica knowing. How? One hot, gratuitous lesbo love scene, that's how.
Writer-director Brian De Palma (Dressed to Kill, Body Double) is back playing teasing, erotic suspense games. OK, he's making less sense than usual. Romijn-Stamos, leggy and luscious, plays a jewel thief who switches identities with a suicide... Hell, I don't know who she's playing. Don't care. Antonio Banderas shows up as a paparazzo who falls prey to Laure's machinations. Who wouldn't? She's a femme fatale of the old school. De Palma -- a master of kinky, delirious visuals -- hooks you good.

PETER TRAVERS

Sunday Morning

Romijn reminds me of those ramen noodles ever time i hear her name.

I'm in the mood to Eat Ramen Noodles and I wouldn't mind...

Dr. DVD

Romjin is pronounced ro-mane, while Ramen is pronounced rah-men.

Now if you were to get some Roumane lettuce....you could toss a salad!

berserker37

I wouldn't mind tossing her salad!

Tony Block

AGREED! It will definitely make my top ten this year.

I just saw it a couple of hours ago, completely alone, and was blown away by this film. Visually, this is the most gorgeous looking film I've seen since Brotherhood of the Wolf and it's the most oneiric I've seen since Mullholland Drive.

It's surreal, over thep top, Hitchcockian, Lynchian, but most of all DePalma at his best in years! The score by Ryuichi Sakamoto is also great, running the gamut from electronic soundscapes, techno, a grand swelling majestic theme to the derigueur Herrmannesque flourishes one expects in a DePalma.

Many will call this no more than an exercise in style, but even on that limited level, it blows most recent American thrillers out of the water.

cheers, Tony Block

Tony Block

I just saw FEMME FATALE couple of hours ago, (I didn't even know the film had already opened here in the St. Louis metro area (November 6), until I saw a TV trailer earlier this evening.) Unfortunately, I had the theater all to myself.

However, that disappointment aside, I found myself completely caught up in the film, totally blown away by its beauty, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Visually, this is the most gorgeous looking film I've seen since BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF, and it's also the most oneiric film I've seen since MULLHOLAND DRIVE.

Trying not to give too much away, FF is surreal, over the top, Hitchcockian, Lynchian, but most of all De Palma at his best in years! If you're partial to De Palma films like SISTERS, DRESSED TO KILL, OBSSESSION, or BODY DOUBLE then, hopefully, you'll find much to enjoy with FEMME FATALE.

Additionally, the score by Ryuichi Sakamoto is great and adds a lot to the moody and off-kilter atmosphere that this film evokes. The music runs the gamut from electronic soundscapes, to techno, to a grand swelling majestic theme, and it also includes the derigueur Herrmannesque flourishes one expects to hear in a De Palma film.

Finally, a warning that many are going to call this no more than an exercise in style, but even on that limited level, as another DVDtalker noted, it blows most recent American thrillers out of the water. Moreover, I'm sure this film is going to divide many of the posters here, making some very very angry with De Palma, and some of the plot choices he makes with the story, while others, willing to go along for a wild ride, will call it bravura DePalma, and, hopefully, will consider FF a strong return to the excellent thrillers he was making in the 70s.

cheers, Tony Block

marty888

Nice to see that I'm not the only one that found this film captivating, intriguing, and an endless source of movie pleasure.
I saw this on Wednesday, and unlike a lot of movies that are simply satisfying at the time, this one has been following me around for two days, and I'm looking forward to seeing it again very soon!

neiname

I've just recently seen Sisters (my first De Palma movie) and was very pleased by it. I will definately be looking forward to seeing this when it comes out on DVD. Thanks for the informative review.

Geofferson

Good to read the positive words about this one. I look forward to seeing it this weekend.

Dr. DVD

Just how wide a release is this? I saw it in a major city opening day as I just happened to be there for an IMAX AOTC and had time to kill. It doesn't seem to be playing in my near vicinity.

While I didn't find the film all that, I hope it doesn't totally flop. Maybe the weekend will help it drum up some business, but I don't see many people flocking to this movie as I doubt it gets good word of mouth from J6P, aside from the lesbo stuff.

marty888

According to boxofficemojo.com, it opened on 1066 screens Wednesday, taking in $346,184.
It's probably opening wider today.