the characters in " palmetto " collectively sweat enough to fill lake erie , and it 's just the right way to capture the film 's ripe atmosphere of sensuality , tension and even farce .
this humid florida - set thriller nurtures a modestly absurd edginess that often winks at itself , which is very much a good thing since the actors and director are in on the joke . as far as set - up is concerned , the movie is nothing we have n't seen before , but be patient -- " palmetto " spins some pretty wicked story twists that we really do n't see coming .
it 's not a classic by any means , but it sure is quite an engaging surprise .
harry barber ( woody harrelson ) is fresh out of prison , where he 's served a couple of years for a crime he did n't commit .
even though he harbors animosity towards the obtuse local officials , harry 's first order of business is to return to his home town of palmetto to be with his sculptor girlfriend nina ( gina gershon ) .
while searching for work , he catches the eye of rhea malroux ( elisabeth shue ) , the mysterious sexbomb wife of a palmetto millionaire .
rhea proposes a scheme that 'll get harry $ 50 , 000 easy -- to play a small part in the staged kidnaping of her jailbait stepdaughter odette ( chloe sevigny ) .
"
you do like risks , do n't you , mr .
barber ?
" rhea alluringly coos .
boys , form a line behind me .
part of " palmetto " 's success can be attributed to the performance of elisabeth shue , who demonstrates here that her oscar - nominated turn in " leaving las vegas " might merely be foreshadowing great things to come .
shue 's a seductive , campy delight , and pulls off a barbara stanwyck - gloria swanson combo with admirable relish .
the other actors form a solid ensemble around her , including sevigny ( " kids " ) , tantalizingly slutty as a teen tease , as well as the ever - likeable gershon , cast a far cry from her extreme roles in " bound " and " showgirls .
" harrelson is still doing fine follow - up work to " the people vs .
larry flynt .
"
" palmetto " does have its share of grievances .
harrelson 's narration is needless , i suppose , and gershon 's nina cries to be meatier than she ultimately is .
one of the plot 's unexpected angles -- that harry is asked by the police to become the press liaison for the very crime in which he 's involved -- could have been played a little better .
there are moments when you question the tone , but it 's never so unstable that it deserves the reproach it 's been receiving from most other critics .
if " palmetto " did n't want to be laughed at , would it really have tacked on a climax that plays like a live - action " who framed roger rabbit " ?
although a few elements can be questioned , the movie works well on its own terms .
thanks to a juicy cast -- especially shue -- and the nifty material approach from director volker schlondorff ( you remember him from last summer 's suddenly re - popular " the tin drum , " right ? )
, everything runs smoothly .
and for fans of revelation - heavy endings , this film 's got a few shocks in store that i wo n't even dream of revealing .
" palmetto " is a generous amount of fun to watch , and that 's all you need to know .
nifty material approach form a solid ensemble a good thing still doing fine follow - up work everything runs smoothly quite an engaging surprise the movie works well a juicy cast success just the right way