Bad Lieutenant (2009)
"The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans" (original title)

Terence McDonagh is a drug- and gambling-addled detective in post-Katrina New Orleans investigating the killing of five Senegalese immigrants.

Director:

Werner Herzog

Writers:

William M. Finkelstein (screenplay), Victor Argo (earlier film "Bad Lieutenant"),

Stars:

Nicolas Cage, Eva Mendes, Val Kilmer

4 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Nicolas Cage	...	Terence McDonagh
Eva Mendes	...	Frankie Donnenfield
Val Kilmer	...	Stevie Pruit
Xzibit	...	Big Fate (as Alvin 'Xzibit' Joiner)
Fairuza Balk	...	Heidi
Shawn Hatosy	...	Armand Benoit
Jennifer Coolidge	...	Genevieve
Tom Bower	...	Pat McDonagh
Vondie Curtis-Hall	...	Captain James Brasser (as Vondie Curtis Hall)
Brad Dourif	...	Ned Schoenholtz
Denzel Whitaker	...	Daryl
Irma P. Hall	...	Binnie Rogers
Shea Whigham	...	Justin
Michael Shannon	...	Mundt
Joe Nemmers	...	Larry Moy

Storyline

After Katrina, police sergeant Terence McDonagh rescues a prisoner, hurts his back in the process and earns a promotion to lieutenant plus an addiction to cocaine and painkillers. Six months later, a family is murdered over drugs; Terence runs the investigation. His drug-using prostitute girlfriend, his alcoholic father's dog, run-ins with two old women and a well-connected john, gambling losses, a nervous young witness, and thefts of police property put Terence's job and then his life in danger. He starts seeing things. He wants a big score to get out from under mounting debts, so he joins forces with drug dealers. The murders remain unsolved. A bad lieutenant gets worse.

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Plot Keywords:

drugs | lieutenant | prostitute | prisoner | debt | 

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Taglines:

The only criminal he can't catch is himself.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for drug use and language throughout, some violence and sexuality

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [fr]

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

11 September 2009 (Italy)

Also Known As:

Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans

Filming Locations:

840 Teche Street, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£178,953 (UK) (21 May 2010)

Gross:

£532,700 (UK) (28 May 2010)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Millennium Films, Edward R. Pressman Film, Saturn Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

122 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to the Werner Herzog, 2,400 cans of decaf coffee had to be used to make the water appear to be river water in the jail scene. They first attempted to use a paint, but it proved to be toxic, then the production team used regular coffee, but the actor absorbed it through his skin.

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Goofs

When McDonaugh searches the couple outside the Gator Retreat, the passenger side view mirror on his car is missing. Later the mirror is there again.

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Quotes

Terence McDonagh: You don't have a lucky crack pipe?

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Connections

Featured in Conan: A Finger Un-Pulled (2011)

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Soundtracks

"RELEASE ME"
Written by Eddie Miller, James Pebworth, Robert Yount
Performed by Johnny Adams
Published by Roschelle Music Publishing/Sony ATV Acuff Rose Music Publishing (BMI)
Licensed from Licensemusic.com ApS
Courtesy of Sun Entertainment Corporation

User Reviews

BLt: PoCNO rocks! There is no other way to describe it.

Seen at the Toronto International Film Festival Sept 17, 2009.

First off it is important to note that the Bad Lieutenant name was imposed by producer Edward Pressman in the hopes of building a future franchise. As Herzog said, a better franchise would be based on his title Port of Call New Orleans. The combined title is a compromise which Werner Herzog was willing to agree to.

Herzog was fun as always at the introductory remarks and the Q&A with TIFF programmer Colin Geddes. Telling anecdotes such as Cage asking him on the 2nd day of shooting what is his motivation and Herzog telling him not to worry about that, just go with "Evil is bliss" and sometimes "let the pig out!" (from the Bavarian colloquialism "Die Sau rauslassen!" / "Las die Sau raus!").

I'll confess that I had my doubts about this one simply based on the BLt title alone, imagining that this was going to be some sort of embarrassing sequel that has been imposed on Herzog for some bizarre contractual obligation reason. Have no fear about that! This is a Herzog movie and a Nicolas Cage on-a-rampage movie with all that those both imply. Even if certain clichés of the genre are adhered to (the prostitute girlfriend, the father who is an ex-cop now "drinking himself to death", etc.) these end up having totally different plot resolutions than you'd expect. Cage's second scene confronting the matron lady and her hairdresser alone is worth the price of admission. I know they don't give Oscars for roles like this (actually, maybe for Denzel they did) but this is the best Nicholas Cage I've seen in years.

Comment at the Q&A "I have seen 20 movies at this festival, and this is the most entertaining of all of them!" I couldn't agree more (and BLt:PoCNO was my 22nd). BLt:PoCNO rocks and Herzog rules! Seen at the Elgin Theatre/VISA Screening Room, the 2nd screening of 3 at TIFF 2009.