Palmetto

1998 Mystery & Suspense

When new evidence confirms that he was framed, reporter Harry Barber (Woody Harrelson) is released from prison after serving two years. He then goes on to demonstrate repeatedly that he is the dumbest, most masochistic noir hero since Adam ate the apple. His original plan, to leave Palmetto, is foiled when he runs into his girlfriend Nina (Gina Gershon), a successful sculptor who truly loves him. Unfortunately, he also runs into Rhea Malroux (Elisabeth Shue), a conniving femme fatale and wife of a dying millionaire, who offers him $50,000 for a small part in a phony kidnapping of her stepdaughter Odette (Chloe Sevigny. Feeling that he is owed something for his lost two years, and blinded by Rhea's sexuality, Harry agrees to participate even after he realizes he was set up from the very beginning. Complicating matters for himself, he also accepts an offer from the DA to serve as press liaison on the case. As the kidnapping careens out of control, Harry's involvement follows the same trajectory. His downfall is that he thinks he's clever, but his ability to think rationally is compromised from the start and worsens from there. more..

Director: Volker Schlöndorff

Starring: Woody Harrelson, Elisabeth Shue, Gina Gershon, Rolf Hoppe,Michael Rapaport

Reviews

  • Palmetto has a satisfyingly deceptive plot that ultimately takes one too many turns.

    Owen Gleiberman - Entertainment Weekly

    26 April 2013

  • Harrelson hits just the right sardonic note in this self-mocking crime drama, but look out for grisly touches along the way.

    David Sterritt - Christian Science Monitor

    26 April 2013

  • The movie has elements of the genre and lacks only pacing and plausibility. You wait through scenes that unfold with maddening deliberation, hoping for a payoff--and when it comes, you feel cheated.

    Roger Ebert - The Chicago Sun-Times

    26 April 2013

  • There's no buildup and little shape. Scenes are strong, but the movie as a whole flags.

    Mick LaSalle - The San Francisco Chronicle

    26 April 2013

  • This neo-noir pastiche is so preposterously overwrought that you keep figuring it must be some kind of joke, except that it's not funny.

    Maitland McDonagh - TV Guide

    26 April 2013

Awards

No awards