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I don't know that noir -- or I guess it's neo-noir nowadays -- would work as well with a female protag and an homme fatale. I think that what makes the femme fatale such a strong archetype is that men tend to think with their pricks even when better judgment suggests, "Leave that dame alone." Not that women don't make bad choices when it comes to men -- they do -- but there's more pity there when it goes left. The guy who lets his little head lead the way receives less sympathy once he gets his comeuppance. Or maybe... "queer-noir"? Gay protagonists don't feature heavily in mainstream cinema, but what about a lesbian protag falling for a femme fatale, or a gay protag falling for an homme fatale? It would be something different.

Per your last thought, Adam: Wouldn't The Talented Mr. Ripley fall into that arena?

Ah! Yes indeed, Scott. And I do love that film. The performances by Damon (who I'm always neutral on), Law (one of his best roles) and especially Hoffman (the first film I "noticed" him in) are great.

Just wondering... it would be interesting if some female reader gives us their opinion about the femme fatale type. I mean, it probably attracts a male audience, but what does the other 50% think about it?

One of my scripts is a neo-noir with a protagonist that is an homme fatal of sorts: he is cornered by two powerful women that have a crush on him and he plays along in order to get out of a dangerous situation and execute his own agenda that is actually only revealed in a big spin at the end. You are asking a great question there. My answer would be that the issue is not how you develop the homme fatal, but the way how a woman who falls for him will act. Naturally it will be cheap if she just act moved by her libido, but developing a previous emotional bound to the homme fatal is a way to achieve the desired effect. In the particular case of my script one of the women is my protagonist's wife, the other the mafia boss's daughter that he had to pamper when she was a teenager and now come back years later as an adult with feelings for him.

La Femme Nikita (and Point of No Return) have an interesting take on the femme fatale as protagonist. She is dangerous not only to her targets, but to the one she falls in love with as well as to herself. This is something like Blue Velvet in that regard.