The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans

This is a great movie that showcases nick cage at his finest. He is a great comedic actor and when the situation is right hits it out of the park!! Unfortunately lately hits severe hit and mostly miss. He takes on 2 many roles to dedicate himself to playing a role better. This movie shows the genre he is perfect at!!! Also great supporting cast as well. As far as comparisons I actually like this version much better than the original.

Nicolas Cage - an Oscar winning actor in Werner Herzog's movie "Bad Lieutenant" which has nothing to do with Harvey Keitel's 1992 film, goes absolute crazy in some scenes, but not as furious as he can. These limitations can be for good, to keep movie's tone in check. And there are no reasons to break drama genre and go bizarre into even more comedic and crazier tone. Because comedy is a pretty usual thing in this flick. Cage's character Terence McDonagh is a drug addict, very reactionary, he is frightening at times, because of what he is capable of, but inside he is a good , selfish person, who just seeks a way out. He has this back problem, taking pills, which aren't helping, he basically takes his own medicine ,using cocaine mostly with his prostitute girlfriend Frankie (Eva Mendes). After a group homicide of several immigrants Detective McDonagh is assigned to investigate. This and his personal problems lead this character into an interesting ending. Watching the movie you can't dislike Terence, the direction is really effective to make us care about, at first look, a scum like McDonagh. The plot goes many unexpected ways. Thanks to screenwriter William M. Finkelstein, who definitely wrote an engaging script.

After loosing the main witness for immigrant's case, McDonagh goes rogue, uniting with the drug-boss, to make some quick money in order to pay debts and save his girlfriend from what she got herself into. That lead to a group of absolutely unexpected events that are not to be estimated anyhow. Nic Cage's character is that chemical element, provoking those events as he becomes a completely different person throughout the film.

The humor in this film is one special part that I enjoyed the most. Not only McDonagh is a guy who threatens helpless old people, but does it with style, and with script's emotional help by making those old people not only victims but villains in that scene, which is it absolutely funny, because emotionally you expect and want McDonagh to do so.

There no much action in this film, at some point it becomes a little fantasy of a drug addict. Moments of him, seeing dancing sole and stuff like that makes this movie even more bizarre, but Herzog doesn't overuse scenes like that, so to make this movie a good combination of drama, comedy and addict's fantasy.

One thing you can always count on when you go into a Werner Herzog movie is that you can always expect to find a story surrounding a very bizarre individual. With Bad Lieutenant, I saw both Herzog and Nicholas Cage in a new light, or rather a new darkness. Labeled as a black comedy, there should be more emphasis on 'black' than on 'comedy'. The film bears a strong resemblance to the thematically surreal and contrived nature of a Coen Brothers film, but the difference is that this one is more character driven than plot driven. More specifically, this is a film that lives on one performance. Nicholas Cage for the first time in a while has done something worthy of recognition, possibly even award worthy.

He plays New Orleans cop Terence McDonagh, recently promoted to Lieutenant. The film follows his latest homicide investigation. Due to a back problem and a drug addiction he is grumpy and unstable. He is sort of an anti- American hero, and the film concludes on a very bizarre note but clever anti- conventional/Hollywood manner.

Though not Herzog's best, it is certainly one worth watching. With each film I see from him, past or present he continues to intrigue me, but I think in this case, it might be Nicholas Cage who deserves the most credit.

This film is not at all what I expected from Herzog - I haven't laughed so much in a long time during a movie. What we've got here is an over-the-top, crazy ride with the best Nic Cage in years. Funny little anecdote on the side (as told by the director, Werner Herzog): when Cage asked for advice on how to best approach his role, Herzog told him to go with "evil is bliss". Cage obviously obliged - and the result is hilarious.

This film got a lot of negativity because apparently, people expected a serious, dark drama (knowing the original, I did, too). Well, Herzog had other plans: this is a wickedly funny black comedy that borders on satire. Fantastic acting by all involved, inventive camera and just one hell of a ride. Herzog's most entertaining film to date and Cage's best performance in ages. 9 stars out of 10.

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Favorite Low-Budget and B-movies: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls054808375/

Favorite TV-Shows reviewed: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls075552387/

Excellent movie which could have gone so horribly bad, in the wrong hands. Brilliant direction from Herzog, and skillfully let's Nick Cage, loose in his character (only previously seen in 'Face Off') and in exactly the same way Keitel, was used in the original (Abel Ferrara) 'Bad Lieutenant' film. Thankfully though 'Port of Call' has a completely different story and enough fresh ideas to make it a very worthy companion piece. This one turned out way, way better than expected.