Femme Fatale

A cinéphile's cinéaste, Brian De Palma is a genre unto himself these days, and this elegantly dreamy Femme Fatale (unreleased theatrically in the UK) is as rich and strange as anything he's made for a while. It includes a twist which, as the writer/director admits, will alienate half the audience. But go with the flow. Beginning with an exquisitely designed diamond theft set against an authentically recreated red carpet premiere at the Cannes film festival, the film introduces Marnie to Rear Window, Obsession to Dressed to Kill. The result is outrageous, provocative, fun. I'm not convinced she's the answer to De Palma's feminist critics, but tall willowy Rebecca Romijn-Stamos (X-Men) makes a poised, confident anti-heroine, and the visuals are often breathtaking.