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

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

Star Nicolas Cage and director Werner Herzog have strong connections with F.W. Murnau's Nosferatu. Cage's performance in Vampire's Kiss was heavily-influenced by Max Schreck's in Nosferatu and Cage's company Saturn Films went on to produce a movie about the making of Murnau's Nosferatu called Shadow of the Vampire. Werner Herzog directed a remake of the 1922 Nosferatu with Klaus Kinski called Nosferatu the Vampyre. Nosferatu was based on the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker and Cage's uncle Francis Ford Coppola directed Dracula.

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Goofs

After blackmailing Renaldo Hayes and asking him to shave points in Lousiana's upcoming game with Texas, Terence meets with his bookie and bets on Lousiana - he should have said he was betting on Texas, which did end up being the winning bet.

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Quotes

Frankie Donnenfeld: Just get me my money.
Justin: I usually pay when I'm done.
Terence McDonagh: Done smacking her around?
Justin: It's erotic shit, man. I didn't hurt her.
Terence McDonagh: [Throws him against the wall] Just like I'm not hurting you.
Justin: Did I hurt-did I hurt you?
Frankie Donnenfeld: Terence, let's just go.
Terence McDonagh: We don't hit women down south.
Justin: You just made a big mistake, Terry. My father's Andy Winnick. You ever hear of him?
Terence McDonagh: Who?
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in Orson Welles's the Other Side of the Wind: A Film by Orson Welles (2011)

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Soundtracks

"OLD LOST JOHN"
Written and Performed by Sonny Terry
Published by Music Sales Corp.
Courtesy of Storyville Records

User Reviews

A film not made for everyone but worth watching if you are interested

Many will look at this and will think that it is an action thriller about a cop trying to solve the murders of 5 people in New Orleans and that is a basic idea of what the film is about. 'Trying' is right word to use; Nicolas Cage's characters is deeply flawed and is taking drugs to ease his back pain, which he got for saving a prisoner in a flooded prison. He has no interest in bringing the people responsible to justice.

It is difficult to describe what happens in the film because it is so different from other films that I have seen. If you have seen Werner Herzog's other films then you will like this maybe not as much as some of his other films but there is a lot to like. Nicolas Cage gives a fantastic performance and is clearly back on form after the likes of Next, National Treasure and The Wicker Man. The rest of the cast also do a good job but the focus is on Cage. The chosen location of New Orleans suits the film well and the cinematographer does a good job showing it. The script writer must also be credited for providing the film with interesting pieces of dialogue even though its difficult to tell what was improvised and what was not.

This film is not for everyone though since the trailer shows it as a more of an crime thriller than a drama. If you are not a fan of art house films or films that have an offbeat sense of humor then you might not enjoy it as much as those who do. Those who watch this film and liked it will be able to find plenty of things about the film that represent something else. There is clearly more to this film than what is happening on the surface.

If you do choose to watch this film then go in with an open mind as there is a lot to like but I can't guarantee that it will be for everyone.