Did you ever notice that in Florida noir films, regardless of the era, there is apparently no air conditioning? The men are all sweaty in the heat and humidity, while the women are always mysteriously cool and dry. Also, in spite of the blazing sunshine, nobody has a tan.
Palmetto contains all these cliches, and many more. The women strut around in sexy dresses, swinging their hips like good femme fatales, and Woody Harrelson's protagonist dresses like a guy out of a Raymond Chandler novel: suit pants, long sleeved shirts, and suspenders in the 90 degree heat. No shorts and T shirt for him. That wouldn't be "noir."
Both Elizabeth Shue and Chloe Sevigny demonstrate their inability to act. Harrelson is really the only skilled actor in this film. He's in great form. Of course, in film noir, there are no "good" guys. But he's so hapless, we root for him in spite of his stupidity.
The plot is clever enough to keep us watching. It gets absurdly twisty in the last third, but I shamelessly hung in there for the final payoff--and it's a good one, rather self-satirizing.
South Florida (Anna Maria Island, Fort Myers, and Palmetto) looks appropriately steamy, and several palmetto bugs make cameo appearances (seriously).
I haven't read the book the film is based on, Just Another Sucker by James Hadley Chase, but after seeing Palmetto, I'd like to.
Palmetto contains all these cliches, and many more. The women strut around in sexy dresses, swinging their hips like good femme fatales, and Woody Harrelson's protagonist dresses like a guy out of a Raymond Chandler novel: suit pants, long sleeved shirts, and suspenders in the 90 degree heat. No shorts and T shirt for him. That wouldn't be "noir."
Both Elizabeth Shue and Chloe Sevigny demonstrate their inability to act. Harrelson is really the only skilled actor in this film. He's in great form. Of course, in film noir, there are no "good" guys. But he's so hapless, we root for him in spite of his stupidity.
The plot is clever enough to keep us watching. It gets absurdly twisty in the last third, but I shamelessly hung in there for the final payoff--and it's a good one, rather self-satirizing.
South Florida (Anna Maria Island, Fort Myers, and Palmetto) looks appropriately steamy, and several palmetto bugs make cameo appearances (seriously).
I haven't read the book the film is based on, Just Another Sucker by James Hadley Chase, but after seeing Palmetto, I'd like to.