Bad Lieutenant Port of Call: New Orleans (2009) Review

 

Bad Lieutenant
Port of Call: New Orleans (2009)

Port of Call: New Orleans follows Lieutenant Terence McDonagh, a dirty cop in New Orleans, who will stop at nothing to solve a murder case, even if that means bending the law...a lot.

While sharing the moniker and having a good bit of similarities to the original Bad Lieutenant, this is a vastly different film in tone, and execution. Terrence is constantly on various drugs like cocaine, heroin, Vicodin, you name it and using his power to his advantage because he knows it’ll always come down to anyone's word against a police lieutenant. And he uses this power liberally, raping, near-killing, and conning his way into getting what he wants, which is usually drugs, sex, or in the rare cases he cares, solving a the homicide of a family. It’s his slow progression into madness though that is most astounding, seeing him start out just as bad a guy at first, and never truly seeking redemption for his actions, and progressively getting worse morally.

Nic Cage offers a drug-fueled, insanity driven performance that sees him really push his overacting, method style to it’s peak, going full bonkers by the end of this one. There’s also a decent supporting cast that includes Eva Mendes, Xzibit, and in one of his last major roles, Van Kilmer. Cage though, brings a lot to the table and while it’s usually a bunch of hokey nonsense, his deranged, sleep-deprived, and injury ridden lieutenant is what makes this insane movie somewhat work.

Directed by the legendary Werner Herzog, Port of Call: New Orleans takes the original from 1992, adds some ridiculously hilarious flair, which I’ve somehow not mentioned till now how funny this movie is, and gives it a positive ending for Terence, with him winning his bets, solving the case, getting promoted, and somehow escaping this one alive, unlike the prior. It’s a muddled mess, that feels like a mixture of Southland and Fear & Loathing, and while only 2 hours, seems like an eternity with everything that happens, which is a never ending train-wreck, one after another. It’s entertaining and unbelievably dark and bleak, but like a car crash, impossible to look away from.

6.7/10