Customer Reviews

Palmetto

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I own this masterful thriller and absolutely covet it. Probably my all time favorite thriller/film noir. A perfect example of steamy, teasing, dark femme fatale film noir classic. Excellent script, direction and acting. Some people who say the film is "too over-the-top" are missing the point and don't realize it's that way on purpose. That's the whole film noir/femme fatale genre, folks. Roll with it. Get caught up in the fake kidnapping scheme and the surprise twists and it's a roller coaster ride! I love it and will always love it. One question: WHEN is the Special Edition gonna come out, with Director's and Actors' Commentary, Behind-The-Scenes (I BEG YOU) and many other features? A film this great deserves a Special Edition DVD. People at Castle Rock: PLEASE issue another DVD version.

This is one of the most fun movies I have ever seen. It has everything I need. Heat, murder, comedy, and there is an element of fantasy that makes me want to see this movie when I want to escape. Buy It!!!

Make more movies like this one Hollywood. And make more in Florida. It's just better that California.

Much has been said about how German director, Volker Schlondorff with the able assistance of American screenwriter E. Max Frye, infused this rather conventional plot with some wonderful, completely original elements. My personal favorites are:

1) Woody Harrelson portrays (quite well) a "normal", fallible person, Harry Barber (even his name is conflicted and clever), in a completely abnormal (but admittedly self-inflicted) situation. He is often clumsy in his attempts to be cool....he cannot resist seductive women or easy money....and he ends up a comic loser (again and again), rather than emerging as the traditional stoic, humorless hero/victim. Harry can't resist Elizabeth's charms (or tongue) even while suspended over a vat of acid, seconds from a hideous death, while his girlfriend (played by Gina Gershon) is nearby and watching!!! Indeed, he is an anti-hero with whom virtually anyone in the audience can relate....his antics are human, believable, and at times hilarious.

2) Elizabeth Shue, in addition to being one of the sexiest, nastiest women on God's earth, is also a superb comic actress, in the Carole Lombard tradition. Her flights of fancy, wierd expressions, and overall daffiness are a great change of pace. Compare her to Kathleen Turner in "Body Heat" and see who portrays a more interesting character....Kathleen is cold and infallible, while you never know what to expect next from Elizabeth. Watch her expressions and behavior closely in the last scene in which she appears....what is she thinking??? I personally find this complexity much more entertaining...and plausible. And let's face it, anyone involved in a sinister plot such as this would have to be at least half insane.

I strongly recommend this movie to all mature viewers who appreciate a change of pace from the traditional "film noir"....it is extremely original, fiendishly clever, funny as heck, and thoroughly entertaining.

In my opinion if your gonna buy a DVD you want it to stand the test of time. And after numerous viewings, this film just gets better. There are so many suttle dashes of greatness that this movie made me a fan of Woody, Chloe, and director Volker Schlondorff forever. This film envelopes you and you get so involved that you swear your in the Humid, Tropical, Sexyness that is Palmetto.

This movie is O.K. I thought, not either of the actors best movie, Gina Gershon plays a good girl for once and is actually very believable, Elizabeth Shue, does a pretty good job ( I don't want to ruin it if you haven't watched it yet), and is very seductive. If your into mysteries and like watching them more than once even though you know *whodunnit* I recommend it. Otherwise, rent it first.

For those who thought that Woody Harrelson could only play a dense barman on Cheers, they're in for a shock. The guy can halfway act. Harrelson has plenty of trouble(s) with three women in this movie. There's a lot of intrigue, suggestive sex, and other standard fare in this movie. The women are ok, though they are more suggestive than revealing, especially Shue; who, if she ever decides to get "revealing" in a movie has a pretty decent body for it, as well as Gershon, who has, and the other one, Sevigny (I think I'm spelling her name right). Not bad, not great, but not bad. Worth a look.

This is a male-ID flick (definitely NOT a "chick flick") with Woody Harrelson as a jaded small town Florida newspaper reporter just released from false imprisonment having his choice of three sexy babes and a fake kidnaping scheme. He tries all four with varying degrees of enthusiasm, but of course makes no real move on the underaged kidnapee, played very sexily by Chloe Sevigny, who calls his lack of initiative "a shame." This steamy tale of greed and murder overcomes an unlikely plot thanks to her, Woody, Gina Gershon and Elisabeth Shue who keep us interested.

Shue plays a psychopathically sensual murderess with a studied lack of consistency, as though discovering the interpretation in medias res. Her final scene coming down the staircase a la Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard (1950) seems more than a bit contrived, as is the tentative voice-over frame from Woody via Joe Gillis from the same classic movie. Still, Shue, as always, is better than a drunken sailor's dream.

I won't go into the plot for this review because it looks like everyone else has beaten me to it. Anyway, let's begin: What this movie has is hot women. There's Elisabeth Shue and Gina Gershon. The former I like for her healthy rear and the latter I like for her sexy fish lips. Also, they both know how to manipulate men in that special way. Second, Harrelson plays a convincing role as an I-don't-care-about-the-world ex-con. He's your typical stoic tough guy who knows what he wants and will do what he needs to get it. Well, within reason. He still maintains whatever moral center he has left that prison life or the city of Palmetto didn't take away from him. He's one cool dude. Third, you'll see a number of scenes where Palmetto bugs are crawling here and there. Give me a break here! A fancy name for roaches! Palmetto bugs are "roaches." That's it. A different kind I'm sure than your average NYC variety but essentially the same. The Palmetto bugs in the movie symbolize something, but you got me as to what that might be. It was late when I saw it and today, as I'm writing this review, I just don't feel up to snuff to kickstart my brain for an analysis. I'll leave that up to you, my fellow readers. Third, what this movie has is murder, deception, sex, cheating, lying--all the necessary ingredients to a great film noir flick. Lastly, buy or rent this movie. Either way, I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy yourself. However, see the movie at night when the sky is black. After all, it is a film noir.

I just love this movie! I've read that they tried to make this movie seem like it was filmed in an imaginary 50's town. And that is probably my favorite thing about it. The mix of old and new. Woody Harrelsons hip but old style of clothing the desolate locations. I live in Florida, but I don't live in this Florida. I know it's just a movie but it's the kind of life and situation that every man would like to be in, at least every once in a while.

Great movie!!! I especially liked the ending. Tastefully sexy without any graphic scenes. BUY IT!!!