Bound (1996)

Directors: Andy & Lana Wachowski

Starring: Jennifer Tilly, Gina Gershon, Joe Pantoliano

More info: IMDb

Tagline: A trust so deep it cuts both ways.

Plot: Corky, a tough female ex con and her lover Violet concoct a scheme to steal millions of stashed mob money and pin the blame on Violet's crooked boyfriend Caeser.

My rating: 8/10

Will I watch it again? YES, YES, YES! But not for the reasons you think.


What a terrific modern film noir! BOUND is a tight, tense and violent crime thriller with fun performances by the three leads...oh, and it's got two super hot actresses getting all naked and friendly with each other. I'm serious when I say that for me, this is first and foremost an excellent crime picture and the reason why I watch it...again...and again. Yes, the lesbian sex scenes are some of the most erotic caught on film but try convincing your friends that that's not why they should see it.

Just like BASIC INSTINCT (1992), the story and performances work for me and the sex element is secondary although I can see how someone wouldn't think that of me after reading a few entries from this blog. The thing is this...yeah, I'm a guy who likes nudity, good nudity, but it's not the end-all/be-all for me when it comes to movies. Some movies benefit from it while others don't. There are times when I mind it and there are times when a movie could've used some. But for me it's really the story, performances, direction, etc that make a movie work. This is the first film by the Wachowski brothers and the one just before THE MATRIX (1999). It's a home run and an outstanding first film.


BOUND works beautifully well and it's a shame that it's the sex angle that everyone thinks about. Like BASIC INSTINCT, I suppose it's not entirely a bad thing since that aspect has brought a lot of people to watch the film only to find out there's a great movie that surrounds the naughty bits that brought them there in the first place.