'Fatale' little more than soft porn

Every year moviemakers hold their breath wondering if they will get the nomination for the Academy of Motion Picture Art and Science's Oscar. The actors and screenwriters for "Femme Fatale" won't be.\nThe movie sells itself as a film noir erotic thriller. It is erotic; Rebecca Romijn-Stamos lights up the screen with sensuality. But it lacks in the thriller department. There are plot twists and turns, but they feel like riding a kiddy rollercoaster.\nA bizarre robbery gone extremely array leads Romijn-Stamos' character into hiding from her former partners in crime. From then the movie takes a surreal voyage exploring the possibilities of the road not taken. \nAlong the way she becomes the wife of a U.S. diplomat and crosses paths with the paparazzi with a heart of gold, Antonio Banderas. The plot doesn't fit tightly together and requires many leaps of faith on the part of the viewer. \nThe casting in this movie was not based on acting talent, but more on sex appeal. Not even the supporting characters do a good job selling the legitimacy of the film. The strongest point of the film is the cinematography of Brian De Palma. He does a masterful job of telling the story. Sadly, there is very little story to be told. It almost seems like a waste of De Palma's talent. \nThis is a great movie to rent on those days you feel really lonely and do not want to face the embarrassment of renting a porno. Before renting it, make sure the VCR's fast-forward button is working. You're going need it to get through all the slow bits.