Movie Guys: Sexy, sultry ‘Palmetto’ resurrects stylish film noir

Jeff

Friday, Feb. 20, 1998 | 9:01 a.m.

Palmetto

Grades: Jeff, B; Dave, B.

Starring: Woody Harrelson, Elisabeth Shue, Gina Gershon, Tom Wright and Michael Rapaport.

Screenplay: E. Max Frye.

Director: Volker Schlondorff.

Rated: R for sexual situations, violence, profanity.

Running time: 112 minutes.

Playing at: Century Orleans 12, Cinedome Henderson, Rancho Santa Fe, Redrock, ACT III Village Square, ACT III Boulder Station, UA Showcase Mall, UA Green Valley.

---

Synopsis: Harry Barber is a good guy who tries to go bad but can't. Two years ago, Harry was set up and thrown into prison for being honest. He refused to take a payoff. Just out of prison, bitter and disillusioned, he meets Rhea Malroux, who has a sweet deal for him. She asks him to take part in a phony kidnaping of her stepdaughter. All he has to do is type a note, make a threatening phone call, and collect the $500,000 ransom and he walks away with $50,000. Of course, nothing is that easy.

Dave: It is truly great, every once in awhile, to see a film surface to the silver screen with the look and feel of classic noir. Of course by "noir" we mean "film noir," which is defined as the Hollywood films of the '40s and early '50s that portrayed the dark and gloomy underworld of crime and corruption, with cynical heroes/villains and the sultry femme fatale. In "Palmetto," we are quickly introduced to the sweaty surroundings of a seaside Florida town and the bum-luck hero of a newspaper reporter, Harry Barber (Woody Harrelson). From then on the film takes pleasure in adapting itself into the sultry world of "color noir."

Jeff: "Color noir"? Way to go, Dave. Just change the entire concept. "Palmetto" is a superb portrayal of contemporary film noir. A man wrongly accused. A sexy, yet deadly, femme fatale. A corpse. Cigarettes, alcohol, sex, rain, anguished faces and betrayal. "Palmetto" takes its style from such film noir classics as "Double Indemnity" and "Sunset Boulevard," but "Palmetto" contains subtle differences, such as the behavior of the main character, Harry Barber.

Yes, Harry is a sucker, led off the path of honesty by a woman's desires and deadly ambitions, yet Harry isn't a professional criminal. He's a wannabe. He thought he was always one step up when he was really two steps back. He is over his head and he can't get out. Barber is performed to perfection by Harrelson, the Dana Andrews of the '90s. And as for Elisabeth Shue, she is perfect as the sexy partner in crime, femme fatale to Harrelson's sometimes goofy, bumbling antics. The scene stealer is Chloe Sevigny, who plays Odette, the kidnaped daughter. Her screen presence oozes with passion -- mixed with trashy outfits, to boot.

Dave: Who are you, Bruce Springsteen? First off, "color noir" is the same principle as "film noir" except for the fact that it is in color as opposed to black and white. It is what differentiates the two. Like Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner" or "Black Rain" and Stephen Frears' "The Grifters," for example, they are in color, but the dark themes and the manipulation of light is still present, creating the familiar aesthetics associated with "contemporary film noir" -- hence, "color noir"! As for our naive hero, Harrelson plays him with smooth confidence, yet vulnerably weak. His touches of humor, mixed with his character's "I meant to do that" attitude are nice subtleties and add a bit of dry comic relief.

Jeff: Today's new phrase is "color noir." Let's have a big hand for Dave, everybody! I would like to take the time to make up new terms for movies, but I'll leave that to Roger Ebert and his movie-going glossary.

I was a nervous wreck throughout "Palmetto." It accomplished what I love about the movies. I was drawn into the story to the point that I became uneasy, and every twist and turn in the intricate plot had me feeling that I was Harry Barber. For example: Barber has the unfortunate task of changing a flat tire in a downpour, and tries to prevent a helpful cop from discovering a body he has stashed inside his trunk. I lost a fingernail during that scene. What tension!

"Palmetto" has such a cool, sexy, sultry look. The fictional town of Palmetto has a sticky, slothful mood, with a trace of fabled Southern hospitality and a hint of gaudy touches from the '50s. Cinematographer Thomas Kloss captures the images of betrayal and seduction in a "color noir" style that sets it apart from the others.

Dave: I think Jeff likes to read what he writes, kind of like the people who talk because they like the sound of their voice. Anyway, credit veteran director Volker Schlondorff ("The Tin Drum") for mixing innovative camera work with his ability to tell an intriguing story. The entire cast play their roles to par, with the exception of Gina Gershon, whose character seemed to take things rather lightly under her extreme circumstances. For instance, she learns her lover, Harry, is involved in murder and deception and she appears to be OK with this? Not to mention the dead body in the trunk of her car and the manner of its disposal. I don't think so.

Jeff: To go into detail about why "Palmetto" was so captivating would ruin most of the cool twists and turns hidden within the story. I don't want to ruin the surprises. Full of sex, passion and betrayal, "Palmetto" is a place worth visiting -- just be sure to leave your morality at the city limits.

MOVIE BUZZ

* Showcase announced: The ShoWest film exhibitor convention has announced the lineup for its inaugural "ShoWest ShowCase: An Evening of Independent Film." "Heaven" is described as a mix of film noir and melodrama, while "One Good Cop" was described by star Stephen Baldwin as an "old school cop movie." "The Mighty" is a story about the relationship between two young misfits. It co-stars Kieran Kulkin, Gillian Anderson, Harry Dean Stanton and Gena Rowlands. "The Opposite of Sex" is a darkly funny tale about homophobia, gender relations and how not to raise a 16-year-old girl in today's world. The films will be shown March 9 as part of the ShoWest convention in Las Vegas.

* Go 'West' young man: Formet "Hamlet" Kenneth Branagh has joined Will Smith and Kevin Kline in the Warner Bros. movie based on the Robert Conrad/Ross Martin TV show "The Wild, Wild West." Branagh will play the brilliant and diabolical Dr. Arliss Loveless, who is plotting to assassinate President Ulysses S. Grant and take over the United States. Special government agent James West (Smith), long on charm and wits, and master of disguise Artemus Gordon (Kline) are sent to track down Loveless. The two agents begin as competitors, only to decide that pooling their talents is the best way to defeat the villain. Production begins in April for a late '98 release.

* More movie moves: The Hollywood Shuffle continues! DreamWorks recently announced that its first full animated film, "Prince of Egypt," would move out of a Thanksgiving slot to Dec. 18. Already scheduled for that date were a "Beavis and Butt-head" sequel from Paramount, Universal's "Patch Adams" with Robin Williams and Stanley Kubrick's highly anticipated "Eyes Wide Shut" from Warner Bros. Soon after DreamWorks' announcement, Disney bullied their way onto the same December date with the former summer release "Mighty Joe Young." But, that's not all! The Mickey Mouse company is also preparing to re-release '93's "Beauty and the Beast." Not to be outdone, Warner Bros. is reissuing the classic 1939 "The Wizard of Oz." The company will have spent close to two years restoring the film with state-of-the-art technology. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

NEW ON VIDEO

"Most Wanted"(New Line Home Video; Rated R; VHS/Laserdisc; Grade, F): Not only was this one of the worst movies to foul the screen in '97, but it is filled with every action cliche in a filmmaker's book. Writer/star Keenan Ivory Wayans plays an ex-Marine who is set up by his covert general (another animated performance by Jon Voight) to take the fall for the assassination of the First Lady. In order to clear his name, Wayans teams with a beautiful doctor (Jill Hennessy) and a government official (a bored Paul Sorvino) to expose the truth behind the conspiracy. The film is littered with bad dialogue, dull characters and more exaggerated car chases and dives off of buildings than you can shake your remote control at. "Least Wanted" would have made a better title.

"The Devil's Advocate" (Warner Brothers Home Video, Rated R; VHS/ Laserdisc/DVD; Grade, D): "The Devil's Advocate" stars Keanu Reeves as successful defense attorney Kevin Lomax, who has a gift of gab in the courtroom, which has led him to an undefeated record. He moves to the Big Apple, where Lomax and his wife meet John Milton (Al Pacino), who has been keeping close tabs on Lomax's blossoming career.

First of all, Keanu Reeves as an attorney? Don't make me laugh. Reeves delivers his lines as if he was surfing at Malibu. And Pacino as the devil? How come it takes almost the entire length of the movie to let us in on the devil's plan? It would be nice if Pacino was in the movie more, too. This movie should be left on the video store shelf. This is just a remake of "The Firm," with the Satanic verses. Stay away.

VIEWPOINT

With the 70th annual Academy Awards race under way, we were surprised to see a few potential nominees overlooked in what was admittedly a crowded year for excellent movies and performances.

Steven Spielberg's "Amistad" was nearly shut out, save for Anthony Hopkins' nomination as best supporting actor. We would bet any amount of Oscars that if some no-name filmmaker directed an epic film about the historic trial of the slave ship Amistad, that director would have gathered a few more Oscar nods, including those for best picture and director. Another director who seems to have gotten snubbed was James L. Brooks for "As Good As It Gets." Maybe because he won in 1983 for "Terms of Endearment" or the Academy was looking to name all first-time nominees in the best director category (James Cameron, Peter Cattaneo, Atom Egoyan, Curtis Hanson and Gus Van Sant), but overall it is a shame.

Probably the biggest shocker is that Cameron's original screenplay for "Titanic" was not honored. Granted, you can argue that the film's record, tying 14 nominations, is an accomplishment all its own and overshadows the fact, but it certainly got our attention enough to make us go back to find that every film since 1966 that won best picture was also nominated for best adapted/original screenplay.

The academy passed on giving a nomination to actor Ian Holm for "The Sweet Hereafter" for what could possibly be the best performance of the year, but did acknowledge "Hereafter's" Atom Egoyan for his direction and outstanding writing.

So, who really knows which way the Oscar wind blows? We have a pretty good idea. This year, the sweet smell of success is in the air for what will be, no doubt, the most exciting Oscar telecast in recent years. It will make superstars out of newcomers and bring renewed respect and prestige to old favorites.

NAME THAT FLICK

Great response to last week's quote: "Yesterday, I announced on this program that I was going to commit public suicide. Admittedly, an act of madness. Well, I'll tell you what happened. I just ran out of bulls---." Will Cavanaugh was the first to recognize the quote spoken by the late Oscar- winning actor Peter Finch from the movie "Network." Way to go, Will. By the way, when Will phoned, he said he was mad as hell and he wasn't going to take it anymore.

As for this week, what Oscar-winning actor said this, and in what movie: "They may torture my body, break my bones, even kill me. Then they will have my dead body --- not my obedience."? Have you heard it before? If you have, call us at 225-9026 or e-mail us at movieguys5@aol.com. Be sure to leave the spelling of your name and a daytime phone number, and if you're the first one with the right answer, we will print your name right here in our column.

And remember: No throwing popcorn at the screen.

Thank you -- The Management.

THE MOVIE GUYS, starring Jeff Howard and Dave Neil, appears every Friday in the SUN (additional material provided by Thomas Feeney). You can also read their capsule reviews of movies in Scope magazine; listen to their reviews and commentary every Friday at 7 p.m. on their radio show "Quiet on the Set" on KVBC 105.1-FM; and watch their reviews every Friday on Channel 3's 11 p.m. newscast. Plus, check them out online at: www.lasvegassun.com/sun/sunlife/movies.

archive