Here’s my quick jmag review of Werner Herzog’s non-remake of Bad Lieutenant, now out on DVD. Since writing it, I discovered that Nicolas Cage may have implied his acting style is the result of Miles Davis once winking at him. It’s not quite a radioactive spider-bite, but it’ll do.
BAD LIEUTENANT – PORT OF CALL – NEW ORLEANS
Directed by: Werner Herzog
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Eva Mendes, Val Kilmer
Country: USA
I’ve always had the sneaking suspicion that Nicolas Cage was developing a new kind of acting that will only be properly understood by future generations. Kooky cop drama Bad Lieutenant – Port Of Call – New Orleans suggests maybe I was right.
Director Werner Herzog (of Grizzly Man fame) says it’s not a remake of the infamous Harvey Keitel film Bad Lieutenant; he says he hasn’t even seen it. It’s just another story about an out-of-control, drug-snorting cop. This one is set in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, although it looks like it was filmed on leftover porn sets sometime in the mid-1980s.
The script – from a writer of TV cop shows like NYPD Blue – is nothing special, but the movie’s offbeat style makes it oddly fascinating. It’s like Herzog created an entire film from his lead actor’s DNA. After phoning in so many performances, Nicolas Cage gives this one everything he has. Even if you think his acting is laughable, this is a movie that gets the joke.
Other reviews this month: anthology film New York, I Love You, The White Ribbon, and The French Kissers.
Issue #39 on sale now.