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Femme Fatale

Femme Fatale

Mystery · Crime · Thriller · 2002

A $10-million diamond rip-off, a stolen identity, a new life married to a diplomat. Laure Ash has risked big, won big. But then a tabloid shutterbug snaps her picture in Paris, and suddenly, enemies from Laure's secret past know who and where she is. And they all want their share of the diamond heist. Or her life. Or both.

Movie details

Femme Fatale

“Nothing is more desirable or more deadly than a woman with a secret.”

2002 Mystery · Crime · Thriller 1h 54m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.2 / 10

Community rating

A $10-million diamond rip-off, a stolen identity, a new life married to a diplomat. Laure Ash has risked big, won big. But then a tabloid shutterbug snaps her picture in Paris, and suddenly, enemies from Laure's secret past know who and where she is. And they all want their share of the diamond heist. Or her life. Or both.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Femme Fatale?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Brian De Palma

Written by

Brian De Palma

Rebecca Romijn

Rebecca Romijn

Laure Ash / Lily Watts

Antonio Banderas

Antonio Banderas

Nicolas Bardo

Peter Coyote

Peter Coyote

Watts

Ériq Ebouaney

Ériq Ebouaney

Black Tie

Édouard Montoute

Édouard Montoute

Racine

Rie Rasmussen

Rie Rasmussen

Veronica

Thierry Frémont

Thierry Frémont

Serra

Court is in session

Put Femme Fatale on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Cool Ironist

“Form is the argument.”

Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Technique in search of a pulse.”

Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.