The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
2009 (Werner Herzog) 18A, 122 min
Starring: Eva Mendes, Nicolas Cage, Val Kilmer
Don’t be fooled by his few odd interludes as a romantic lead or action hero- Nic Cage is a true Hollywood treasure of a different sort- a master of freaky bad vibes and awkwardness (Wild at Heart, Adaptation), and a shamelessly brilliant ham to boot (Vampire’s Kiss). Who better than Werner Herzog, unparalleled at looking unflinchingly into the darkness and finding in it delicious food for thought plus a good laugh, to show off the twisted side of his unconventional leading man? As the drug addicted and seemingly amoral Lt. Terence McDonald, Cage lurches, slurs and inexplicably changes accent midstream as he consorts with crooks, drug lords and prostitutes in post-Katrina New Orleans, pursuing illicit pain relief and, possibly, justice. Relentlessly dark yet consistently, uncomfortably funny, Bad Lieutenant: PoCNO is one of 2009’s best films.
-Kate ScullinWatch the Trailer
