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:

Violet and Corky are making laundry day a very big deal.

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Genres:

Crime | Romance | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong sexuality, violence and language

Did You Know?

Trivia

Larry Wachowski later became Lana Wachowski. "Lana" is also the name of Rebecca De Mornay's character in Risky Business (1983), in which Joe Pantoliano appeared.

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Goofs

When Gino talks to Caesar and Johnnie, he asks if they 'cameesh,' that is, if they understand. The correct expression is 'capisce' or 'capeesh' for the verb form 'capisci' from the Neopolitan dialect of Italian.

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Quotes

Corky: For me, stealing's always been a lot like sex. Two people who want the same thing: they get in a room, they talk about it. They start to plan. It's kind of like flirting. It's kind of like... foreplay, 'cause the more they talk about it, the wetter they get. The only difference is, I can fuck someone I've just met. But to steal? I need to know someone like I know myself.
Violet: You think you know me like that?

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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 Nostalgia Critic: Why Do Good Directors Go Bad? (2016)

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Soundtracks

Hopeless Faith
Performed by The Hail Marys
Courtesy of Panic Stricken Records

User Reviews

A Brilliant Thriller

I cannot think of a film that creates a more elaborate and intelligent sequence of events than Bound. This leads to that and that leads to something else and that leads to this and so on. What is special about this film, is that everything is connected. This is not Tarantino nonsense, that has no point and simply tries to rely on gimmicks and witty dialog. This is a clever thriller. The story centers around Corky, Violet and Caesar, who in one way or another, are involved in a plan to scam the mob. Of course, scamming the mob is never a good idea. Issues of trust, loyalty, love, violence and everything else are covered. There are very arousing sex scenes and scenes of disturbing violence, utilizing pruning shears. All of it choreographed beautifully by two very talented brothers. However,it is Joe Pantoliano who steals the show. He plays a wiseguy that gets caught in a downward spiral that can only finish one way, but he does his best to delay it. How he was omitted by the Academy is beyond me. To the pompous nitwits that peck away at this film, I have one question. What Hollywood films in the last ten years can you reel off that were nearly as clever as this film? Yeah, I thought so. **** out of ****, a simply brilliant motion picture.

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

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