Bound (1996)

Tough ex-con Corky and her lover Violet concoct a scheme to steal millions of stashed mob money and pin the blame on Violet's crooked boyfriend Caesar.

Directors:

Lana Wachowski (as The Wachowski Brothers), Lilly Wachowski (as The Wachowski Brothers)

Writers:

Lilly Wachowski (as The Wachowski Brothers), Lana Wachowski (as The Wachowski Brothers)

Stars:

Jennifer Tilly, Gina Gershon, Joe Pantoliano

8 wins & 13 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Jennifer Tilly	...	Violet
Gina Gershon	...	Corky
Joe Pantoliano	...	Ceasar
John P. Ryan	...	Mickey Malnato (as John Ryan)
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 (as Kevin M. Richardson)
Gene Borkan	...	Roy

Storyline

Corky, a lesbian ex con hired to work in an apartment as a plumber, meets neighbors Caesar, who launders money for the Mafia, and his girlfriend Violet. The two women have a love affair and decide to steal $2,000,000 that Caesar has in custody before he gives them back to Mafia boss Gino Marzone. Caesar is set up by the two scheming women as a scapegoat but things start to go wrong when he reacts in an unexpected way...

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Plot Keywords:

lesbian | mafia | bound and gagged | finger cut off | stolen money | 

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Taglines:

A trust so deep it cuts both ways.

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Genres:

Crime | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong sexuality, violence and language

Did You Know?

Trivia

Susie Bright was the technical consultant for the bedroom scenes. The Wachowskis were fans of Bright and sent her a copy of the script with a letter asking her to be an extra in the film. When she read the script she loved it, particularly as it was about women enjoying having sex and not apologizing for it. Disappointed that they never described exactly what was happening in the sex scenes, she asked if she could be a sex consultant for the film and they agreed. Bright also appeared as Jesse, the woman Corky tries to talk to in the bar and the extras in the bar scene were Bright's friends-"real life San Francisco dykes".

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Goofs

After a close-up of a gun placed immediately to the left of a glass, there is a wider shot showing the gun on the right side of and about a foot away from the glass.

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Quotes

Caesar: What did she do to you?
Violet: Everything you couldn't.

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Alternate Versions

The unrated version, which nearly all DVD and Blu-Ray releases of the film contain, features two longer and more explicit sex scenes (the second one in particular is made up of almost completely different footage from its R-rated counterpart), as well as a more brutal shot of the man getting his head smashed against the toilet.

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Connections

Referenced in Ellen: The Puppy Episode (1997)

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Soundtracks

(Chicago Is) My Kind of Town
Written by Jimmy Van Heusen and lyrics by Sammy Cahn
Sung by Jennifer Tilly and Gina Gershon

User Reviews

Gosh, what a surprise

Let's get one thing straight at the start - the Brits aren't very good at sex. Obviously we're good enough to procreate and what have you, but when it comes to movies, we don't have a clue. What's more, we still have a strong streak of the Victorian puritan ethic running through us. This accounts for the fact that, in the period running up to Bound's cinema release, certain British newspapers hyped up the explicit lesbian content with a kind of outraged glee.

And, of course, when someone says "Disgusting - it ought to be banned!" then you want to see it all the more, don't you? So there I am, looking forward to a little girl on girl action (and it's there alright, filmed in tasteful arty stark contrast), and what do I get? A bloody good crime thriller, that's what.

There are many comments here, so I'll just say two things.

One, this is not the outrageous lesbian free-for-all which it was made out to be by certain elements of the British press. The relationship between the two women is absolutely essential to the credibility of what follows.

And, two, this is a film which you watch for the first time in a state of almost unbearable stress. I do not recall ever seeing another film in which extreme tension is maintained so well for such a sustained period.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Italian

Release Date:

4 October 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Business

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$4,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$900,902, 6 October 1996

Gross USA:

$3,802,260

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$3,802,260

Company Credits

Production Co:

Dino De Laurentiis Company, Spelling Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1