Palmetto (1998) *

The first half of this noir thriller is laughably predictable, featuring every single cliche of the genre. The second half offers some genuine surprises - but it's too little too late. The plot only makes sense if we assume that the main protagonist is the greatest idiot that ever lived - one who believes everything he's told, doesn't bother to check anything and couldn't smell a rotten fish if it were jammed into his nostrils. His childish naivety isn't funny, it's embarrassing.