Werner Herzog's "Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans" is an incredibly unpredictable and bleakly comic work. Despite being very cynical, it is not at all heavy-handed, thus making it both a nerve-wracking and very funny experience. Every single step taken in this film feels like a step in the wrong direction and Nic Cage's unhinged performance truly brings the entire thing together.
The use of the word "bad" in the title is a severe understatement, as Cage's character is completely out of the territory of conventional evil. Like Abel Ferrara's similarly titled work, the film revolves around a corrupt cop becoming increasingly more desperate to save their situation. However, the antics of the titular cop in this film are darkly amusing, in contrast to the layers of tragedy in the aforementioned film. Like Scorsese's "The Wolf of Wall Street", much of the film's humor comes from excess, as shown by Cage's performance and the strange cinematography from Austrian cinematographer Peter Zeitlinger. The characters in this film are so bad that there is no room left for redemption.
The style of the film itself is also interesting. Sometimes this film is hard noir, other times is a stoner film, though the film lies in between for the most part. While the plot revolves around the murder, it feels like a large MacGuffin that enables the film to go on many tangents. However, it does not mean the case does not get closure. It just means that you get even more time with stressed-out Nic Cage. Considering that the film is two hours long, I'd say that's more than enough.
The use of the word "bad" in the title is a severe understatement, as Cage's character is completely out of the territory of conventional evil. Like Abel Ferrara's similarly titled work, the film revolves around a corrupt cop becoming increasingly more desperate to save their situation. However, the antics of the titular cop in this film are darkly amusing, in contrast to the layers of tragedy in the aforementioned film. Like Scorsese's "The Wolf of Wall Street", much of the film's humor comes from excess, as shown by Cage's performance and the strange cinematography from Austrian cinematographer Peter Zeitlinger. The characters in this film are so bad that there is no room left for redemption.
The style of the film itself is also interesting. Sometimes this film is hard noir, other times is a stoner film, though the film lies in between for the most part. While the plot revolves around the murder, it feels like a large MacGuffin that enables the film to go on many tangents. However, it does not mean the case does not get closure. It just means that you get even more time with stressed-out Nic Cage. Considering that the film is two hours long, I'd say that's more than enough.