Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (Blu-ray) | DVD Review

In what may seem like a dream match-up of a cutting edge director and an A-List star, Werner Herzog (Rescue Dawn, Grizzly Man) and Nicolas Cage (Knowing, the National Treasure films) have teamed up for Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, the quasi-remake/sequel to Abel Ferrara’s dark and gritty Bad Lieutenant from 1993. It’s a pity that this bombastic film ends up being (a lot) less than the sum of its parts.

Cage is Terence McDonagh, a detective in post-Katrina New Orleans who has recently been promoted to lieutenant. His prescription for Vicodin (he suffers from debilitating back pain) coupled with the wasteland that ‘N’awlins’ has become leads him to more potent and readily available – to a cop, anyway – illegal drugs which in turn lead him further into dark and troubling activities: his girlfriend Frankie (Eva Mendes, displaying much more chemistry with Cage than they showed in the laughable Ghost Rider) is a prostitute; he owes a lot of money to a local bookie (the ever-dependable Brad Dourif, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Child’s Play); he pilfers drugs from the evidence room and even stops patrons on their way out of bars, falsely claiming they ‘match a description’, in order to see if they have anything on them he can confiscate for his own use. Hell, he’s the poster boy for police deviance. Herzog fits all this around an investigation into the drug-related murder of a family of five Senegalese immigrants, the chief suspect being played by rapper-turned-actor Xzibit (The X Files: I Want to Believe) in a believable turn as an almost likable morally bankrupt criminal. The strong cast is rounded out by Fairuza Balk (American History X) as an officer Terence asks for a favor, Shea Whigham (Splinter) as one of Frankie’s clients with criminal ties, Jennifer Coolidge (American Pie – Stifler’s mom!) as Terence’s father’s alcoholic girlfriend, and Val Kilmer (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang) in an uncharacteristically muted performance as one of Terence’s colleagues.

Widely described as a subtle (if iguana- and gator-POV shots and the souls of dead people breakdancing can be seen as subtle) satire of Hollywood crime thrillers, the point has been made that the plot is secondary to the debauchery of the ‘bad lieutenant’, but the film’s running time is a shade over two hours. That’s a lot of time to devote to the depiction of one policeman’s depravity, even if it is the scenery-chewing Nicolas Cage playing the policeman. That’s not to say that there’s nothing in Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans for the avid cinephile. Herzog is an undeniable directorial talent and some of the shots in the film bear proof of that. The opening scene of a snake slithering through the rising Katrina floodwaters in a prison is not only beautiful, it’s an excellent metaphor for the rest of what we are about to be treated to. The cinematography by director of photography Peter Zeitlinger (Encounters at the End of the World) is probably the best thing about the film. If anything, just watch the film for the stunning visuals and scenery.

There’s nothing wrong with the 1.85:1 widescreen transfer on the Blu-ray disc, presenting the stunning cinematography in 1080p high-def. And the Dolby True HD audio mix is also to be commended, providing a nice avenue to enjoy the score by Mark Isham. The disc is a little short on special features, though:

The Making of Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans is a half-hour featurette providing behind-the-scenes looks at the production of a few scenes from the film and also includes some candid moments with Herzog describing what he was trying to convey with the film. Worth it just for Val Kilmer’s immitation of Herzog.

Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans Digital Photography Book; Photos by Lena Herzog is a collection of stills from the production of the film that are for the most part nothing short of gorgeous.
Also included are a theatrical trailer and an alternate trailer. A commentary track from the affable director would have been most welcome, as his commentaries are always entertaining and insightful.

Critics were falling all over themselves in order to praise Nicolas Cage for his umpteenth over-the-top performance and Werner Herzog for his not-so-subtle satire of Hollywood crime drama conventions, but despite top-notch cinematography and some fine turns by an excellent supporting cast, a satirical take on ridiculous films can only beget further ridiculousness. To enjoy this film you’d either have to be oblivious to Herzog’s ruse and a fan of mindless crime films or you’d have to be a Herzog or Cage fan who believes that neither of them can do wrong. Everybody misfires sometimes, even the great Werner Herzog.

Movie rating – 1.5

Disc Rating – 2