Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

Admit it, fellow men. Whether you're heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, or asexual, your "mini-me" can often obstruct the process of rational thought. Our manhood can get us into a lot of trouble sometimes: revolution, war, famine, kids... Palmetto (based on Just Another Sucker by James H. Chase) is a story about those troubles. The protagonist's "peter" points the way toward a messy mess - kidnapping, murder, black-eyes, and Florida are just a few of the major mistakes shown within this story of one man and his "little guy."

"The world is full of Harry Barbers: guys who wanna play in the big leagues but just don't have the talent."

Ah, good old Harry Barber. An ex-journalist who did some time for an embezzlement he didn't commit, Barber (Woody Harrelson: Cheers) returns to his girlfriend Nina (Gina Gershon: Bound) and to the town that wrongfully put him behind bars (Palmetto: Florida). While job searching, he bumps into the conniving busty-blonde Mrs. Rhea Malroux who has a position for him that "involves a little risk."

The offer:
Rhea needs someone to coordinate a kidnapping scheme.

The victim:
Odette Malroux (Chloe Sevigny: Boys Don't Cry). Her father, Rhea's billionare husband, will surely dish out plenty of Benjamins in exchange for the safe return of his daughter.

The catch:
Odette is in on the deal. The kidnapping is fake - she's just leaving town for awhile. Barber isn't too sure about how reliable the girl is. One more worry.

Harry Barber is understandably hesitant to get involved at first, but a little convincing (wink wink) combined with his thirst for receiving reparations from Palmetto, and he gets down to business. Will everything go as planned?

Woody Harrelson was born for the role of Harry Barber. Sleazy, sly yet clumsy, smart when it comes to the little things, stupid when about the big stuff - a noirish type of dude. The rest of the cast is smudged with ill-fitting typecasts assigned to the wrong role. Elizabeth Shue has the physique of a 1940s-50s leading film noir queen, but her acting is a bit over the top. Shue's Rhea Malroux is neither edgy nor sinister. Gina Gershon, on the other hand, has too much of an edge for Harry's domesticated girlfriend Nina. Gershon's charisma and vixen-type appeal would have been better suited in Shue's role. Chloe Sevigny bodes fairly well as the teenage nymphomaniac and object of the kidnapping plot, Odette Malroux. She puts forth a constant sense of uneasiness and teenage angst during her brief time onscreen. Michael Rapaport, who plays Mr. Malroux's ex-cop bodyguard Donnelly, acts with his usual skinny tough-guy motions, whims, and New Jersey accent. I have yet to see Rapaport play a role in a way that doesn't remind me of his neo-Nazi skinhead in Higher Learning. That, my friends, is not good.

Somewhat noteworthy New German Cinema director Volker Schlondorff (Young Torless, The Tin Drum) does a so-so job with Palmetto. Known for his publicly displayed hatred toward "alternative cinema," Shlondorff is infamously associated with mainstream approaches and anti-art features, opting for politically correct social messages rather than creative styling. He was (in my mind) the most American-like filmmaker of the New German Cinema movement. Palmetto doesn't trumpet morality like Young Torless or The Tin Drum or The Lost Honor of Katherina Blum, but it still suffers from Schlondorff's lack of artistic skill and absence of genuine auteurship. Luckily, D.P. Thomas Kloss gives us a few interesting shots to look at, and the editing by Peter Przygodda is exceptional.

If you get the feeling that you've seen this movie before, it's because you have. Schlondorff cut and pasted most of Palmetto's better scenes from other movies in and around the film noir genre. Most obvious is the connection to Sunset Boulevard - one of the more famous film noir classics. Not only are the majority of the characters plucked right out of it, but plenty of scenes are copied as well. Interestingly enough, no credit is given. Other "nods" to look out for (this is half the fun of Palmetto) are from The Maltese Falcon, The Lady From Shanghai, Raw Deal, and Tight Spot, among others. Keep an eye out for them.

If you are eager to see Woody's woody release a load of trouble, Palmetto is the ticket. It's not good, but it's not bad. There are enough twists and moments of suspense to keep the casual viewer entertained, and plenty of "nods" that film noir buffs can use to quiz their knowledge of the genre. Worth a night's rent.

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age