Bound (1996)

Directors:

Andy Wachowski
Larry Wachowski

Writers (WGA):

Andy Wachowski (written by) &
Larry Wachowski (written by)

Release Date:

4 October 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

A trust so deep it cuts both ways.

Plot:

Corky, a tough female ex con and her lover Violet concoct a scheme to steal millions of stashed mob money and pin the blame on Violet's crooked boyfriend Caeser.

Plot Keywords:

Mob Boss | Criminal | Severed Finger | Cruelty | Shot In The Chest

Awards:

6 wins & 10 nominations

Cast

Jennifer Tilly	...	Violet
Gina Gershon	...	Corky
Joe Pantoliano	...	Caesar
John P. Ryan	...	Micky Malnato
Christopher Meloni	...	Johnnie Marzzone
Richard C. Sarafian	...	Gino Marzzone
Mary Mara	...	Sue, Bartender
Susie Bright	...	Jesse
Margaret Smith	...	Woman Cop
Barry Kivel	...	Shelly
Peter Spellos	...	Lou
Ivan Kane	...	Cop #1
Kevin Michael Richardson	...	Cop #2
Gene Borkan	...	Roy

Also Known As:

The Business (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong sexuality, violence and language.

Runtime:

108 min | USA:109 min (unrated version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Singapore:(Banned) | Canada:R (Manitoba/Ontario) | South Korea:18 | Brazil:18 | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) | Philippines:R-18 | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Argentina:18 | Australia:R | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Germany:16 (bw) | Hong Kong:III | Italy:VM14 | New Zealand:R18 | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Dino De Laurentiis Company

Trivia:

The buckets of paint have partially torn Republic Films logos on them.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Caesar is yelling in the face of the dead body of Johnnie Caesar, he puts his hand in Johnnie's face. When he does this the dead body clearly blinks.

Quotes:

Violet: I want what's mine; I want half the money. We get rid of Mickey, and no one else dies. No one. Say, "Yes, I understand."
Ceasar: Yes, I unnerstan'.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema (2006)

Soundtrack:

I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You)

Stylish, sexy and fun

Violet is a gangster's moll, living with Caesar, who launders money for the mob. Corky is a ex-con who has been hired to decorate the flat next door to Caesar's flat. When the two meet they slowly begin a love affair behind Caesar's back. After a while Violet comes up with a plan to steal mob money and frame Caesar for it while she and Corky make off with the cash. However, there is no such thing as a simple plan.

I saw this when it was released in the cinema where the overall view seemed to be of an enjoyable noir thriller with a lesbian twist. A few years later, the Matrix has made the Wachowski brothers hotter than hot and everyone is clambering all over Bound and building up it's status and pointing to it as a hint of greatness. Now, after two poor Matrix sequels, many will come back to this film as a sign of their ability before the dollars became more important. That's the impression I get anyway, from the message boards, reviews and comments from proper critics. However, I rewatched this and tried to meet it on it's own terms rather than be coloured.

Of itself, it does the business quite effectively as a noir crime thriller. The plot is tough and, although not all that twisty, does easily engage and keep the audience pretty gripped. The lesbian stuff is done a little cynically I think - where do you draw the line between stuff that is required for us to know that the two are lovers, and the stuff that is titillation? I don't know, the film does it all very tastefully and it is not the film's fault that some sections of the audience will come to this film because it has a lesbian love scene in it. I acknowledge that it was done quite sexily and was part of the film, but the crime is the focus.

The brothers direct with great style - set mainly in a couple of flats, the film moves slickly around the place. Some shoot outs do reveal a style that was later used in the Matrix films (albeit on a sci-fi level). The slow-mo stuff is pretty good here and not overly used - little tricks like the shooting over the white paint added to the style of the film no end. Despite being bogged down in a story I believe they took too seriously, I don't think they need to prove themselves as directors - their films speak for themselves in that regard, and I do hope they get back in the saddle.

The cast is deep in talent but mostly they play it in the stereotypical characters of the genre. Tilly is a great moll, at first she appears to be the delicate flower of the film, but she is as much a femme fatale as Corky. Gershon is very sexy, despite being very glamorous for a supposedly butch ex-con; she plays her role well although I would have liked to see her become more of a fall guy towards the end, in true noir fashion - fooled by love! Pantoliano is enjoyable; his character may not have a lot of meat on it but Joe does very well with a powerful performance. Support from Meloni and Ryan is good even if they all fit the gangster clichés required by the script.

Overall this is an enjoyable genre film - no more and no less. The lesbian stuff is a nice twist on the usual formula but it isn't pushed enough to be classed as exploitative (although there's no doubt that the film gained audience as a result of the love scenes). The cast are good and the direction is stylish, making for a slickly enjoyable noir.