Film noir has always been a film genre that was easy to identify -- it involved femme fatales smoking Lucky Strikes and conniving lunkheaded men into offing their husbands for money or kicks. They often involved whirling ceiling fans, venetian blinds and rain-swept streets. When done correctly, like in Double Indemnity or Sunset Boulevard, film noir is guiltily entertaining -- a rare mix of grittiness and glamour.

After 1960, film noir practically vanished, only appearing periodically in movies such as Chinatown and The Grifters. As a genre, though, film noir was basically considered dead, a victim of changing tastes.

Things are looking up, however, for lovers of that distinct film style. Two years ago independent filmmaker John Dahl made Red Rock West, a neo-noir set in a small Texas town. With The Last Seduction, his latest release, Dahl just might single-handedly rejuvenate the genre, creating a film that is uncompromisingly mean-spirited and at the same time, darkly hilarious.

Seduction begins with Bridget Gregory, played to hard-boiled perfection by Linda Fiorentino, stealing a hefty sum of cash from her husband, Clay. She ends up in Beston, N.Y., a suburban town outside of Buffalo. There she finds Michael, a good-guy chump of a man who is on the rebound after a failed marriage.

Bridget, after changing her name to Wendy, finds a job and a house and adjusts to suburban life, sort of. Aware that her husband is after her and his money, Bridget devises a plan to get rid of him and make more loot in the process.

For more than 10 years Fiorentino has stood on the cusp of stardom, appearing mostly in low-budget, independent projects that got her critical acclaim and not much else. After Seduction, Fiorentino will never again have to worry about not being noticed.

Radiating the warmth of an iceberg, Bridget lies, cheats, kills, steals and molds her men like soft putty. (It is no coincidence her husband is named Clay.) In order to lose a pesky private investigator, Bridget employs a game of I'll-show-you-mine-if-you-show-me-yours. When her boyfriend refuses to kill for her she innocently replies, "You would if you loved me."

She is vicious, nasty, hateful and you will not be able to take your eyes off of her. She is one of the most ruthless characters ever to grace the big screen. Even Hannibal Lecter revealed a soft side. Bridget does not have one to show.

John Dahl, as well, will never be known as an obscure filmmaker. He shows an amazing understanding of film noir and character motivation. He directs with a light-heartedness that is a nice contrast to the cruel mechanisms of the plot.

Both Seduction and Red Rock West were shown on HBO before they received a theatrical release. It is virtually guaranteed that Dahl's next film will not have to suffer the same fate.

The other members of the cast, including Bill Pullman and Peter Berg, nicely pull off their roles, which could have easily devolved into stereotypes. The pitch-black script by Steve Barancik and a rich jazz score add a nice mood to the proceedings.

The Last Seduction is pure film noir. Brutal and funny, it will hopefully spawn a new generation of noir films. Until then, be content to sit back and watch stars being born in the form of Linda Fiorentino and John Dahl.