Femme Fatale

During a ten million dollar diamond heist, Laure Ash pulls off a dangerous score and assumes a new life under the name Lily Watts, marrying a diplomat. For a while she basks in luxury, blending into a glamorous world that seems to promise safety. A single flash of paparazzi light in Paris shatters the cover and puts Laure on the radar of people who want a cut of the profits, or perhaps more. Figures from her secret past surface, with old debts and grudges that refuse to stay buried. Laure’s husband Watts and the enigmatic Nicolas Bardo become entangled in a web of insinuations and double meanings.

Directed by Brian De Palma, Femme Fatale released in 2002 as a glossy thriller with an original screenplay. Rebecca Romijn stars as Laure Ash Lily Watts, partnered by Antonio Banderas as the mysterious Nicolas Bardo and Peter Coyote as Watts.

Critical responses were mixed, with readers divided by the film's opulent visuals and its jagged plotting. Some critics praised Romijn for carrying the dual identities with poise while others found the narrative tangled and overworked. The film probes how identity can be staged and sold, and how wealth and fame attract danger. It also comments on paparazzi culture and the way truth becomes a commodity when lives get too bright.

While not a landmark, Femme Fatale nods to classic noir and De Palma's recurring fascination with illusion and cinema. The Paris setting and luminous turns echo his past thrillers, and the movie contributes to conversations about celebrity exposure and the costs of living under scrutiny.

As for awards, the film did not receive major nominations. Some outlets noted De Palma's craftsmanship and Romijn's electric performance, but the project did not become a major awards contender, and it largely faded from the awards conversation.