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.

---

Plot Keywords:

drugs | lieutenant | prostitute | prisoner | debt | 

---

Taglines:

The only criminal he can't catch is himself.

---

Genres:

Crime | Drama

---

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

Both Bad Lieutenant and this film were released on the same day, November 20, in 1992 and 2009 respectively.

---

Goofs

The film is set "six months" after Hurricane Katrina, putting the action in the movie occurring sometime around February 2006. In the film, Terence McDonagh continually bets on college football games, though in reality the football season is over by the time the action supposedly takes place.

---

Quotes

Terence McDonagh: [to a man stuck in a cell as the water rises above his neck] You want me to get wet? On account of you?

---

Connections

Features Doggone Tired (1949)

---

Soundtracks

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

User Reviews

Not great, but a pretty interesting experience

In 1992, director Abel Ferrara made the controversial film Bad Lieutenant, and I have always thought that that movie was a protest/parody of the anti-heroes who were infesting the popular culture...all those alcoholic, divorced and depressed policemen we saw (and keep seeing) as main characters in uncountable thrillers or action films.It is like if Bad Lieutenant wanted to say: "Do you want an anti-hero? THIS is an anti-hero".18 years later, we have a new version of that film, called Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans, and even though it is not a great movie, it ended up being a pretty interesting experience.Nevertheless, I would not consider it as a remake.

The best thing I can say about Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans is that it is a unique film.I still do not know whether it is very good or very bad, but at least this is not one of those bland movies lacking of vision we commonly see on contemporary cinema.This film has plenty vision (and madness), and that disproportionate passion is one of the main things which make it interesting.

Nicolas Cage entertained me with his extreme and over the top performance, but at the same time, that plays against this movie.He abuses from the same style we have seen him doing in other films, and it became so common that it does not provoke the necessary impact in his performance.The rest of the actors bring solid developments.Eva Mendes is simultaneously sober and precise on her character; Jennifer Coolidge shows her talent, which is unfortunately wasted on many occasions; Alvin Joiner (more famous as "Xzibit") surprised me with the maturity he shows in his character; and finally, the brilliant Val Kilmer and Brad Dourif also bring competent performances.

If I had read the title "Director Werner Herzog prepares a remake of Bad Lieutenant" on Mad Magazine, I would have thought it was an appropriate satire of the ridiculous fever for making new versions of classic (or semi-classic) movies.And I guess Herzog and screenwriter William M. Finkelstein also found that idea funny, because behind the drama and sordid situations from Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans, there are constant winks and a soft sarcasm as indications we do not have to take this movie very seriously.And it is precisely that humor one of the main things which rescue it from being a mediocre thriller.So, this movie is not great, but I think it is worth exposing to its bizarre elements and humor.In summary, I think Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans is one of the few "so bad it is good" movies which were done with that purpose, and they succeeded on that.Whoever understands that will definitely appreciate this strange movie.