The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans (2009)

Director: Werner Herzog

Starring: Nicholas Cage, Eva Mendes, Val Kilmer

More info: IMDB

Tagline: The only criminal he can't catch is himself.

Plot: Corrupt Det. Terence McDonaugh (Nicolas Cage) -- whose bad habits include pain drugs, reckless sports gambling and accepting sexual bribes -- investigates the murder of five Senegalese illegal immigrants in New Orleans.

My rating: 8/10

Will I watch it again? Gleefully!

I saw the original Abel Ferrara 1992 film way back when and I dug it. It was dark and disturbing and Harvey Keitel put in a demented performance. So when I heard that this was being remade I was horrified. Then it was announced that Herzog would direct and that was interesting 'cause he's the kind of guy who could pull something like this off. Then it was announced that Cage was the lead. I was back to horrified.


Nicholas Cage has had one of the spottiest careers in Hollywood. Most of his movies are anywhere from suck to OK at best. He doesn't have much range. I can never forgive him for what he did to THE WICKER MAN (2006) where he wasn't just the actor but the producer so it's mostly his fault it was as bad as it turned out. To me he'll never be off the hook for that one but if he continues to do what he did in BL:PoC (which he's already proven he won't) then it's a good step in the right direction.


He's fucking awesome in this flick and Herzog does everything right from the story to the locales. I lived in and around New Orleans for a time and it felt good to see it on film again, and to not only see the spots everyone's familiar with. This movie gets into the streets, the neighborhoods, the places most movies don't show you. Cage's performance is unhinged and unpredictable just like the rest of the film. It's a wild ride and I had a blast with it. Check out the trailer and the movie delivers just what you see.