Femme Fatale
User Score
6.1 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 30 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 30
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 30
  3. Negative: 8 out of 30

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  1. MattM.
    Feb 9, 2003
    10
    "Femme Fatale" is a film Alfred Hitchcock would be proud of. Director Brian DePalma crafts an elegant and intriguing heist thriller with more than its share of twists and turns. This is expert filmmaking: sleekly photographed, handsomely mounted, and visually stunning. It weaves a web of intrigue, danger, and seductiveness. The picture is sly and self-assured. Though Antonio Banderas receives top billing, "Femme Fatale" belongs to Rebecca Romijn-Stamos. Whether or not she is a great actress is debatable. Yet she is a true Hitchcock-ian heroine: icy, deliciously duplicitous, and sexy as hell. Her performance may not be spectacular, but it is certainly one of the bravest performances of 2002. "Femme Fatale" is undeniably one of the best films of the year. It is certainly one of the most pleasurable motion picture experiences I have had in a while. See it, if for nothing else, for Rebecca Romijn-Stamos's fearless, sexually-charged performance. She will leave you stunned.… Expand
  2. Elijah
    Oct 17, 2003
    10
    Gorgeous and trashy, Femme Fatale is the most exhilarating thing you could possibly have seen in the theaters last year. Even if it doesn't completely hold up in the end, it is a beautiful exercise in style featuring a marriage of images and music that will stay with you for the rest of your life. DePalma shows his genius behind the camera here better than he ever has. Highly, highly recommended.… Expand
  3. Jonas
    Mar 27, 2003
    10
    I am a little confused: I must have seen a different film than some of these viewers. This film was incredibly gorgeous, stylish, and sexy. It's amazing for a film to be so captivating when there is very little dialogue. One of the best examples of a film that resembles a director's pure love of movies. It's one of the very best films of 2002.
  4. John
    Nov 26, 2002
    10
    Wonderful ... a "Mulholland Drive" that doesn't cheat.
  5. Samantha
    Dec 8, 2002
    10
    Fabulous! Anyone who says otherwise is juat plain stupid.
  6. Jack
    Jan 13, 2004
    10
    Great meta-thriller, with the usual DePalma hijinks, choreography and tongue-in-cheek preposterousness.
  7. Elliott
    Nov 15, 2002
    10
    The people who reviewed this probably don't like being puzzled by a film where you actually have to PUT THE PLOT together. Sure, it's hard work, but if you require logic in a movie - - don't watch this. It surely isn't for everybody (check the reviews), but for those of us who like movies as puzzles, Femme Fatale is a wild ride. It's too bad it wasn't very well-advertised.… Expand
  8. MatthieuR.
    Nov 9, 2002
    9
    Save for some parts of the ending that are a bit cliche, I really enjoyed this film. It is repleted with references to other works, subtle symbols and "clins d'oeil" to famous film directors (I kept thinking of Kiezlowski's "Rouge". The lack of dialogue is refreshing in today's "explain everything to the audience". Yes, it is an erotic film, but a very well done one at that.
  9. JackD.
    Dec 20, 2002
    9
    Great tongue-in-cheek suspense.

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
59 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 30 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 30
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 30
  3. Negative: 5 out of 30
  1. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Dana Stevens
    80
    The story, to the extent that it is comprehensible, is pretentious and banal, closer to "Vanilla Sky" than "Notorious." But Mr. De Palma proves that, in the absence of insight or ideas, some amazing things are possible. It is possible, for instance, to be entranced by a movie without believing it for a second.
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  2. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: Jami Bernard
    63
    Sexy, witty, energetic and gorgeous, but it is as stripped of the human element (in some of its production design, as well) as a minimalist Calvin Klein store.
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  3. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Megan Lehmann
    38
    De Palma fools around with split screens and slo-mo, but no amount of cinematic artifice can varnish over the fact that this is simply a bad film.
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