Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans

USA 2009
produced by
Stephen Belafonte, Nicolas Cage, Randall Emmett, Alan Polsky, Gabe Polsky, Edward R. Pressman, John Thompson, Alessandro Camon (executive), Boaz Davidson (executive), Danny Dimbort (executive), Avi Lerner (executive), Diego J.Martinez (executive), Elliot Lewis Rosenblatt (executive), Trevor Short (executive) for Edward R. Pressman Film, Nu Image, Polsky Films, Saturn Films/Millennium Films
directed by Werner Herzog
starring Nicolas Cage, Eva Mendes, Val Kilmer, Fairuza Balk, Jennifer Coolidge, Brad Dourif, Michael Shannon, Shawn Hatosy, Xzibit, Denzel Whitaker, Shea Whigham, Irma P. Hall, Tom Bower, Vondie Curtis-Hall, Katie Chonacas, Lance E. Nichols, Brandi Coleman, Jillian Batherson, Brandy Moon, Deneen Tyler, Marco St.John, J.D. Evermore, Kyle Russell Clements, Sam Medina, david Joseph Martinez, J.Omar Castro, Michael Wozniak, Tim Bellow, Lauren Pennington, Armando Leduc, Tony Bentley, Sean Boyd, Topher Jones, Nick Gomez, Joe Nemmers, Douglas M.Griffin, Deena Beasley, Lyssa Prine, Trey Burvant, Lucius Baston, Noel Arthur, Roger J.Timber, C.Stuart Rome, Victor Hugo Palacios, Robert Pavlovich, Jeremy aaron Johnson, Michael Arnona, Jaime San Andres, Michael Zimbrich, Lorin Moore, Matt Borel, Joshua Gillum
screenplay by William M.Finkelstein, based ont he movie Bad Lieutenant written by Abel Ferrara, Victor Argo, Paul Calderon, Zoe Lund, music by Mark Isham

Bad Lieutenant

review by
Mike Haberfelner

Ever since saving a convict from a flooded prison in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Kathrina, police Lt McDonagh (Nicolas Cage) is suffering from a bad back, so much so that prescription drugs no longer suffice to kill the pain and he's heavily addicted on all kinds of illegal substances - which he usually gets from his precinct's storage, cheating a bit on vouchers and the like, and sometimes he just robs pushers for his personal supply. Plus he also has his girlfriend Frankie (Eva Mendes), a hooker, to take care of, who has a serious cocaine habit. When investigating the slaughter of a Senegalese family that's clearly drug-related, McDonagh seems to lose it, as he personally loses his key witness, tortures and humiliates other witnesses, and finally is even put off the case and moved to storage duty (not too bad, considering that's where he gets his drugs from). But even then, he hasn't lost interest in the case, and eventually he manages to get in touch with the key suspect in the case, Fate (Xzibit) - and he makes a deal with him, promising insider information in exchange for shares in his business. The friendship between McDonagh and Fate even goes so far that Fate helps him get rid off a gang McDnoagh owes a small fortune to ... and just when you think McDonagh has totally sold out to the baddies, he and his colleagues move in for the arrest ...

Half a year later: Everything could be beautiful, McDonagh has been promoted for his actions in the case, his girlfriend has kicked her drug habit, has quit her job, and has gotten pregnant (from him of course), he has made peace with his dad and dad's second wife ... and still, McDonagh is hooked on heroin and suffering from depressions - until he meets the convict he has saved at the beginning of the movie again who has since taken part in a reform program, and that gives McDonagh new strength ...

First of all, this is not a direct remake or a sequel to Abel Ferrara's Bad Lieutenant, even though the similarities between the two films are far too obvious to dismiss, and in direct comparison, Herzog's film is inferior to Ferrara's masterpiece in pretty much every department.

That said though, taken on its own terms, Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans is still a pretty good film, despite its dark themes it remains rather entertaining, at times even funny, throughout, Nicolas Cage gives one of his best performances and manages to carry the film, even though his Hunchback of Notre Dame rendition of backpain comes across as unintentionally ridiculous most of the time, and swift pacing gets you through the overlong film that could have done with some trimming rather painlessly. Only the beginning (the lead character saving a convict) and the extended happy ending seem a bit forced upon, apart from that, this one's really ok - not great like Abel Ferrara's Bad Lieutenant (as mentioned above), but then again, few movies are.

review © by Mike Haberfelner

 

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