MovieChat Forums > Femme Fatale (2002) Discussion > 3rd rate MULHOLLAND DRIVE rip off

3rd rate MULHOLLAND DRIVE rip off

posted 21 years ago by jwpappas
29 replies | jump to latest

I rented the DVD of FEMME FATALE as I had heard it was a return to form for Brian DePalma. I was thinking "Hey, great, a return to form for the creator of such classics as SISTERS, CARRIE, DRESSED TO KILL, SCARFACE, BODY DOUBLE, CASUALTIES OF WAR & THE UNTOUCHABLES". It was a return to form all right, but a return to form in the miserable veign of SNAKE EYES, MISSION TO MARS, RAISING CAINE, MISSION IMPROBABLE & BONFIRE OF THE VANITIES.

FEMME FATALE isn't even a movie--its a string of set pieces that look like a bunch of Duran Duran music videos from 1983. Back in 1984 Kathleeen Turner made another dopey sexcapade by a once geat director work--that would be Ken Russells overheated CRIMES OF PASSION. CRIMES OF PASSION almost worked because Turner got the joke & went with it. Turner is also an actress. Rebecca Romijn Stamos on the other hand is a manequin who exudes all the sex appeal of an angry old nun. She's not really that pretty either, appearing more like an above average looking secretary than anyone that would inspire intense lust. Her ludicrous Pepe' LePew French accent doesn't help much either, but its an improvement over her nasally native accent.

DePalma has been over this territory many times before, so much so that it becomes like a greatest hits package sung karoke style by a drunken Chess King employee. I guess he got tired of "paying homage" to Hitchcock so he decided to start paying homage to himself, the result being a copy of a copy of a copy.

What is so shameful about FEMME FATALE is how DePlama blatantly rips off David Lynch's far, FAR superior MULHOLLAND DRIVE. Brian "Sense? I Don't Need To Make No Stinking Sense" DePalma paints himself into a corner with his pointless script, cardboard characters, sexual tableaus straight out of a Skinemax erotic thriller & non direction of his non actress leading lady, then tries to rescue his mess ala the Betty/Diane & Rita/Camilla device that David Lynch deployed so masterfully in MULHOLLAND DRIVE. DePalma has always been a plagerist (most notably of Hitchcock), but at least he understood what he was stealing & used it to great effect. DePalman stealing from Lynch is like a 2 year old pocketing a diamond--both have no idea what they stole but like the way it looks.

Obviously DePalma has Jumped The Shark & there is no heading back.

[–] rex_ilusivii 13 years ago

I rented the DVD of FEMME FATALE as I had heard it was a return to form for Brian DePalma. I was thinking "Hey, great, a return to form for the creator of such classics as SISTERS, CARRIE, DRESSED TO KILL, SCARFACE, BODY DOUBLE, CASUALTIES OF WAR & THE UNTOUCHABLES". It was a return to form all right, but a return to form in the miserable veign of SNAKE EYES, MISSION TO MARS, RAISING CAINE, MISSION IMPROBABLE & BONFIRE OF THE VANITIES.

FEMME FATALE isn't even a movie--its a string of set pieces that look like a bunch of Duran Duran music videos from 1983. Back in 1984 Kathleeen Turner made another dopey sexcapade by a once geat director work--that would be Ken Russells overheated CRIMES OF PASSION. CRIMES OF PASSION almost worked because Turner got the joke & went with it. Turner is also an actress. Rebecca Romijn Stamos on the other hand is a manequin who exudes all the sex appeal of an angry old nun. She's not really that pretty either, appearing more like an above average looking secretary than anyone that would inspire intense lust. Her ludicrous Pepe' LePew French accent doesn't help much either, but its an improvement over her nasally native accent.

DePalma has been over this territory many times before, so much so that it becomes like a greatest hits package sung karoke style by a drunken Chess King employee. I guess he got tired of "paying homage" to Hitchcock so he decided to start paying homage to himself, the result being a copy of a copy of a copy.

What is so shameful about FEMME FATALE is how DePlama blatantly rips off David Lynch's far, FAR superior MULHOLLAND DRIVE. Brian "Sense? I Don't Need To Make No Stinking Sense" DePalma paints himself into a corner with his pointless script, cardboard characters, sexual tableaus straight out of a Skinemax erotic thriller & non direction of his non actress leading lady, then tries to rescue his mess ala the Betty/Diane & Rita/Camilla device that David Lynch deployed so masterfully in MULHOLLAND DRIVE. DePalma has always been a plagerist (most notably of Hitchcock), but at least he understood what he was stealing & used it to great effect. DePalman stealing from Lynch is like a 2 year old pocketing a diamond--both have no idea what they stole but like the way it looks.

Obviously DePalma has Jumped The Shark & there is no heading back.

Good review! Completely agree with you. I'd just like to add that it was also boring. I found myself a few times fast forwarding it a small bits of time. Just to make an annoying or predictable scene run faster. Such as the most of the long scenes with Romijn Stamos, whose sight I hope to never see again. Not just on the screen, but anywhere.

no i am db

[–] 13 years ago

[deleted]

[–] jhtg 9 years ago

it more sexy and fun then that boring pile of *beep*

[–] Dan_Garten 9 years ago



[–] Protozoid 8 years ago

This obviously wasn't a ripoff of Mulholland Drive, but they were similar and I wonder if anyone has a theory why?

Also, both of those films have a lot in common, structurally and thematically, with Donnie Darko, which also came out around the same time!

Did anyone notice how Donnie Darko and Femme Fatale both have airplane flights with a bizarre spiral drawn on the propeller?

Seriously, why on earth would these three movies be so similar and come out the same year? It almost defies explanation, except...

...I'm pretty sure Mulholland Drive and Femme Fatale resemble each other largely because of shared influence from Hitchcock's Vertigo. Vertigo and Hitchcock are huge in France and both of these movies have French financiers. Sound about right?

[–] Medinensis 8 years ago

Did anyone notice how Donnie Darko and Femme Fatale both have airplane flights with a bizarre spiral drawn on the propeller?

Yep.

I'm pretty sure Mulholland Drive and Femme Fatale resemble each other largely because of shared influence from Hitchcock's Vertigo.

Oh, I don't know. Could be.

Mulholland Drive didn't repeatedly display 3:33 on various clocks as did Femme Fatale.

Both did have bright lights at important moments in the film.

But only one had a full immersion baptism.

Both reference dreams but may in fact be bardo journeys.

I don't know that Donnie Darko fits that mold.

[–] Seperatrix (1090) 2 years ago

This obviously wasn't a ripoff of Mulholland Drive, but they were similar and I wonder if anyone has a theory why?

I don't think FF was a Mulholland Drive ripoff either. Though I think both films flirt with being dream journeys but I interpret them in bardo terms (there's even the character in FF named Bardo!)

I never think of one film when watching the other and that's in spite of my bardo interpretation for both films. So similarity never comes to mind for me, hence, no theory to offer.

[–] Seperatrix (1090) 5 months ago

I just finished watching this one again after a long hiatus.

Observations:

There are at least 3 clocks in the film that appear stuck on 3:33 (one in an extended scene)

"Lily" stays in a room numbered 214: 2 + 1 + 4 = 7. "7 years later is presented at various moments in the film.

And . . . embarrassed to say I didn't catch this years ago . . . there's a guy named "Bardo" . . I mean, come on . ..

Like Mulholland Drive there is a perfectly acceptable dream interpretation available for those who prefer such a explanation.

I'm going with bardo for MD. Femme Fatale I'm not as sure about, maybe it's just being cute with certain references but intends a dream interpretation.

I do think Twin Peaks is in bardo land as well for what it's worth. Mulholland Drive also. Copycats like LOST and perhaps Femme Fatale followed suit.