Bound (1996)

Corky, a tough female ex con 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 | stolen money | ex convict | stealing from the mob | 

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Taglines:

In their world, you can't buy freedom, but you can steal it.

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Genres:

Crime | Romance | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong sexuality, violence and language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Italian

Release Date:

4 October 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Business

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$4,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$900,902, 6 October 1996, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$3,798,532, 22 December 1996

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

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was Joe Pantoliano's first leading role in a film. It's also his favourite role.

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Goofs

When Caesar is yelling in the face of the dead body of Johnnie Marzzone, he puts his hand in Johnnie's face. When he does this the dead body clearly blinks.

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Quotes

Gino Marzzone: Caesar, you gotta do me a favor. A personal favor for me. You gotta start respecting Johnnie, the way you respect me. Capisce? Good, good. And you, Johnnie. You gotta stop acting stupid. You gonna earn this respect that Caesar's gonna give. Capisce? Good, done!

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Alternate Versions

Although the UK Video and DVD are the full uncut version, the version released in cinemas cut the shot of the finger being chopped off in the bathroom scene.

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Connections

Referenced in Seed of Chucky (2004)

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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

Impressive debut for the Wachowski brothers

I can only hope the Wachowski brothers next foray into writing and directing, THE MATRIX, fulfills the promise they show here. This is a well-done example of film noir, one of my favorite genres, with a twist; it's got a lesbian romance at the center. Yet the film is smart enough not to depend on the novelty of it being a "lesbian" film, but takes time to develop both the story and the romance, so we're caught up. I also liked how Violet (the Jennifer Tilly) character turned out; she at first seemed like a pushover but turned out to be the strongest character in the movie.

If I had a quibble, it's that Corky (Gina Gershon, who is very good), is inactive for a crucial, and lengthy, part of the film, which slows things down a little. Also, the way we first see Corky in the film sort of promises a twist that the story doesn't deliver. Still, this is a gripping film, to be sought out by fans of this genre. Oh yeah, and Joe Pantoliano was quite good too.