sucked

Granted the film is not without its major faults in regard to plot and sub-plots that do not fit well as the narrative develops. That being said, Femme Fatale is a visual extravaganza; it is eye-candy for those who love to see a work of art unfold in front of their eyes. It is difficult to top it, not even Lynch [Mulholland Dr.] or Amenabar [Abre los ojos] or even Polanski [The Ninth Gate] come close to the finesse DePalma shows in this film’s visual tapestry, which showcases the beauty of places in relation to the bodies of the super-models it purports to showcase. The trick is to learn to see this film as a visual masterpiece by looking at the images without trying to make sense of what they all mean.

Thank you. Very nicely put.

This is a stylish film and has terrific camera work.
But what really attracted me to this film into claiming this to be one of De Palma's best is everything that is NOT SPOKEN.
When she goes to sleep, the time is 3:33 (or 4:44). When she wakes up the time is exactly the same. Inside her dream, every clock or watch you look at posts the same time.
Now, what amazing is De Palma's work of double irony.

A dangerous woman (a femme fatale) attempts to change her future and instead get what she bargained for: death and more death. Then, to her avail, it was all a dream and she gets another chance to change her future.
The premise works.
The entire films works because of it dialogue, its underlines story, its raw human emotions, yes it's style, and its operatic stature.
The music works well and according with the happenings, making this a beautiful film to look at.

The general audience members looks for a plot, acting, and style.
Style, everybody likes. I personally don't care for it. I'd rather understand what is being shown than simply see something that may or may not look good.
This film had suitable acting and commendable performances for Antonio Banderas and Rebecca Romijn-Stamos.
The story is commendable is works with double irony.

A filmmaker gives the audience something to see, something to work with. Not everybody actually understands what they see. I do because I am a filmmaker, myself. The general audience member does not understand films the way they are portrayed and look for sterotypes and points. That is wrong.
And that is exactly why many found this movie to suck: because they don't know what's good.

First find out what the director wants you to see, then watch the movie for what it's worth.

such a load of crap.