Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans

This movie is absolutely glorious. Seriously. You have no idea. I'd forgotten how much fun Nicolas Cage can be when he actually tries. Much like Matthew McConaughy is the optimal guy to play a pot head, there is no one more suited than Cage at playing a cocaine-addled, corrupt, New Orleans Police officer. After seeing this performance I thought back to an interview I read with director Werner Herzog where he speculated that Cage may have actually been doing coke during the filming and I totally agreed. He's that good. But I digress.

You remember how much I loved Crank 2? Well Bad Lieutenant takes that film's sense of utter insanity and has talented people execute it. I don't remember being so happy during a viewing of a movie since, well, Crank 2. I'm not even going to bother getting into the plot, because it's kind of irrelevant, rather I'll just give you a few of my favorite moments:

-'Everything I take is prescription...except for the heroin'
-'Shoot him again. His soul's still dancing'
-extended P.O.V. shots from an alligator and two iguanas because...why not
-Cage emerging from behind the quintessential swinging door shot while shaving with an electric razor, and then proceeding to threaten two senior citizens (I don't want to ruin how this plays out, its amazing)
-Seriously I can't emphasize how great Cage's portrayal is. From the perfectly disheveled suit, to the iconic Cage crazy-bug eyes, to the .357 magnum that he keeps tucked in his waistband everywhere he goes. It's perfect, I couldn't stop smiling from the minute he came on screen.

I'll leave it at that because I can't do this justice. I'll just say if you're willing to get past the rampant drug use, sadism, and anti-social behavior on the part of law enforcement, I cannot recommend Bad Lieutenant highly enough.

Update: Here's an interview with director Herzog, that explains a lot. Read it after seeing the film though to preserve the experience. You have to love a guy whose film school aims to teach:

"...more practical subjects, will be the art of lockpicking. Traveling on foot. The exhilaration of being shot at unsuccessfully. The athletic side of filmmaking. The creation of your own shooting permits. The neutralization of bureaucracy. Guerrilla tactics. Self reliance."

and has guidelines like:

"Censorship will be enforced. There will be no talk of shamans, of yoga classes, nutritional values, herbal teas, discovering your Boundaries, and Inner Growth."