The diamonds are located on a gold ensemble worn by model Veronica, who is accompanying real-life director Régis Wargnier to the premiere of his film East/West.

The picture is displayed around Paris, and Black Tie (who has coincidentally been released from prison seven years after being arrested for the heist) spots Bardo's photo while in the middle of killing a woman, seen talking earlier with Laure at a café, by throwing her into the path of a speeding truck.

The pair eventually meet with Bruce for a ransom exchange; however, Bardo has a crisis of conscience at the last moment and sabotages the scheme.

In an extended twist ending, the entirety of the film's events after Laure enters the tub in Lily's home are revealed to be a dream.

Scott of The New York Times[17] and Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times,[18] the latter of whom gave a 4-star review and called it one of De Palma's best films.

[19] Scott wrote, "More than a quarter-century after Obsession, his feverish tribute to Vertigo, Mr. De Palma is still worshiping at the shrine of Hitchcock, as well as indulging in a good deal of auto-homage.

Though it lacks the prickly, probing sense of human vulnerability that made those movies disturbing as well as exciting, Femme Fatale is far more absorbing and tantalizing than most of the plodding, overworked thrillers the studios churn out these days.

Its brazenly illogical plot twists should embarrass lesser filmmakers who tout mechanical, uninteresting surprise endings.

"[17] Ebert wrote, "Sly as a snake, Brian De Palma's Femme Fatale is a sexy thriller that coils back on itself in seductive deception.