Like a tightly wound top, Nicholas Cage is the bad lieutenant, who spins out of control when a selfless act of heroism causes him to injure his back creating excruciating pain. His prescribed painkillers turn into a drug abuse problem as he uses his position on the force to score more drugs. He is a good detective and he wants to put the criminals away, but as he makes more and more compromises to maintain his drug supply, the line between right and wrong gets trampled on.
Watching Nicholas Cage throughout this film you have to admire the way he throws himself into a role. In every frame his back pain is evident and as he becomes more entangled in his web of deception you see the antithesis of a tortured man. Lt. Terrence McDonagh is immersed in a world of drug dealers, bookies, thugs and prostitutes. His life is his work and his only other human connection is with his hooker girlfriend and his bookie. As Lt. McDonagh gets in deeper and deeper, providence reaches in, backhands the top and causes the spiraling to come to an end.
The Bad Lieutenant is a film about choices, consequences, justice and salvation. It is an excellent character study with a fine supporting cast including Val Kilmer, Eva Mendes, Jennifer Coolidge, Brad Dourif and Vondie Curtis-Hall. This modern film noir directed by Werner Herzog is dark, but it also has a spirit of divine justice. Someone has to pull the string and know when to steady the top.
Rating: First Run A dark character study of a cop gone wrong
About Me
- Melanie Wilson
- My Reviewer's Philosophy: I believe that every film has its audience. One man’s Citizen Kane is another man’s Texas Chain Saw Massacre. My purpose is to help you spend your entertainment dollars wisely. A bad review never kept me from going to a film I wanted to see, but a good review will sometimes get me to a film I never considered. As a movie lover I want you to go to the movies. When more people go to the movies, the more movies get made. But, I also believe that if you enjoy the films you see, you naturally will be inclined to go more often. So join me in supporting our film industry by going to a movie today. Hopefully I can steer you towards a good one. See you at the movies. Melanie Wilson
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