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, Russell M. Haeuser

5 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 | prisoner | investigation | sergeant | 

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Taglines:

Corrupt, Violent, Drug-Addicted, Vice, bad cop

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Certificate:

14A

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [France]

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

11 September 2009 (Italy)

Also Known As:

Bad Lieutenant

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

In a June 2008 interview with The Guardian, Abel Ferrara, who directed and co-wrote the original Bad Lieutenant (1992), said that finding out his movie was being remade was "a horrible feeling", "like when you get robbed", and that those involved in this remake "should all die in hell". He also wondered how Nicolas Cage "can even have the nerve to play Harvey Keitel", and called screenwriter William M. Finkelstein an idiot. Herzog responded that he had never seen the original and had never heard of Ferrara.

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Goofs

After the shoot out with Big Fate's crew, Dave Jacobs's soul gets shot again. When he falls down from dancing his arm is underneath and behind him, but in the next shot his arm is tucked underneath him out of sight.

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Quotes

Terence McDonagh: I'll kill all of you. To the break of dawn. To the break of dawn, baby.

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Connections

References Grizzly Man (2005)

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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

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.