Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans

Last night I went to the local arthouse (Robinson Film Center in Shreveport, LA) to see this new film, and honestly I didn't know what to expect.  I knew it was directed by one of the most famous German directors in the history of film, Werner Herzog.  And I knew that it was somewhat of a loose extension of an earlier, "cult" film (simply Bad Lieutenant) starring Harvey Keitel.  But that was about all I knew.

Well, all this to say, I really enjoyed it.  If you're familiar with Herzog's previous work, it certainly feels like HIS film.  It's absurd, zany, and perhaps even messy, but all in an artful and emotionally complex way. Somehow, Herzog is able to perserve the spirit of the original film while taking it somewhere that is altogether new and different.

Highlights for me include a truly wonderful Nicolas Cage performance and a fantastic score by veteran composer, Mark Isham.  More than anything though, it's the film's energy that really grabbed me.  Often times, the film ventures into places that are incredulous, confusing, even awesomely bizarre, but because it does it all with absolute conviction (think Ian Curtis dancing), it never managed to lose me.  

I usually champion films that approach the crime genre straight, not in an ironic way.  But here Herzog's treatment is so contagious that I can't help but mention it.  In many ways, it reminds me of David Cronenberg's two recent entries (A History of Violence and Eastern Promises) into the genre.  It makes me realize that it's these sort of things, great directors working with new genres, that help keep them fresh and alive.  After last night, I would be more than thrilled to see Herzog make another crime film.

Eastern Promises

I admit; I'm way late on this one.  But, truth be told, I've barely been able to see anything the last two years.  So now I'm playing catch up.

Cronenberg's duo of crime films, A History of Violence and Eastern Promises, arrive somewhat unexpected in the director's canon.  But, once I saw them, the choice made perfect sense, and made me wish he'd been working with this sort of material more often during his fantastic career.  I think the two films are like Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures and Closer or The Beastie Boys' Paul's Boutique and Check Your Head.  In other words, two works that chronologically follow each other, almost forcing you to choose which one you like better?  I'm on the unpopular side of all of these, I think, in that I prefer Closer, Check Your Head, and now Eastern Promises.

Eastern Promises has its flaws, but Viggo is working at such a tremendous level (think his moments in Carlito's Way).  And it's awesome to see Vincent Cassel show the same rawness and talent that he's been displaying for years in France (I'd recommend revisiting Kassovitz's La Haine if it's been awhile).  Now, if we could just find a great English-speaking role for Virginie Ledoyen.

I always felt they let the air out of A History of Violence once they let us in on Viggo's real identity.  Whereas the intensity here never really lets up.  Way to go Steven Knight.  I was a big fan of Dirty Pretty Things, and you've done it again.

Elegant, raw, dangerous, and rigorous, Promises will definitely find a spot in my Top Ten at year's end.