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

Director:

Werner Herzog

Writers (WGA):

William M. Finkelstein (screenplay)
Victor Argo (earlier film "Bad Lieutenant") ...

Release Date:

11 September 2009 (Italy)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

The only criminal he can't catch is himself.

Plot:

Terence McDonagh is a drug- and gambling-addled detective in post-Katrina New Orleans investigating the killing of five Senegalese immigrants. |

Plot Keywords:

New Orleans | Eccentric | Cult Director | Aquarium | Black Humor

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

US Showtimes:

The Landmark

11:25am | 2:10pm | 4:55 | 7:40 | 10:15

(personalize)

Cast

Nicolas Cage	...	Terence McDonagh
Val Kilmer	...	Stevie Pruit
Eva Mendes	...	Frankie Donnenfeld
Jennifer Coolidge	...	Genevieve
Fairuza Balk	...	Heidi
Brad Dourif	...	Ned Schoenholtz
Michael Shannon	...	Mundt
Shawn Hatosy	...	Armand Benoit
Denzel Whitaker	...	Daryl
Shea Whigham	...	Justin
Irma P. Hall	...	Binnie Rogers
Xzibit	...	Big Fate
Tom Bower	...	Pat McDonough
Vondie Curtis-Hall	...	James Brasser
Katie Chonacas	...	Tina
Lance E. Nichols	...	Jerimiah Goodhusband
Brandi Coleman	...	Yvonne
Brandy Moon	...	Duffy's wife
Lauren Pennington	...	Young woman
J.D. Evermore	...	Rick Fitzsimon
Marco St. John	...	Eugene Gratz
Deneen Tyler	...	Pharmacist
Jillian Batherson	...	D.A's Assistant
Lucius Baston	...	Deshaun 'Midget' Hackett
Michael Wozniak	...	Undercover Officer
Deena Beasley	...	Miamouna
Kyle Russell Clements	...	Lawrence
Tony Bentley	...	Hurley
Armando Leduc	...	Jeff
Sam Medina	...	Andy
Sean Boyd	...	Lt. Stoyer
Douglas M. Griffin	...	Sergeant
J. Omar Castro	...	Narcotics Detective
Nick Gomez	...	Evaristo Chavez
Tim Bellow	...	Gary 'G' Jenkins
Joe Nemmers	...	Officer Larry Moy
Noel Arthur	...	Renaldo Hayes
David Joseph Martinez	...	Juan Michel
Joel Davis	...	TV Play-by-play announcer (voice)
Jaime San Andres	...	Officer Lasseigne
Topher Jones	...	Undercover Detective
Michael Arnona	...	Police Captain
Trey Burvant	...	Dealer
Lyssa Prine	...	Nurse
Jeremy Aaron Johnson	...	Detective Yasco
Victor Hugo Palacios	...	Police Officer
Robert Pavlovich	...	Dr. Milburn
Matt Borel	...	Bernie
Roger J. Timber	...	Security Guard (as Roger Timber)
C. Stuart Rome	...	CSI Agent
Joshua Gillum	...	Host
Michael Zimbrich	...	Waiter
Lorin Moore	...	Promotion Reporter

Also Known As:

Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (USA) (promotional title)
Bad Lieutenant - Cop ohne Gewissen (Germany) [de]
Bad Lieutenant - Escale à la Nouvelle-Orléans (France) [fr]
Diafthora sti Nea Orleani (Greece) [el]
Il cattivo tenente - Ultima chiamata New Orleans (Italy) [it]

MPAA:

Rated R for drug use and language throughout, some violence and sexuality.

Runtime:

121 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Italy:T | Canada:18A (Manitoba/Ontario) | Finland:K-15 | USA:R | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (British Columbia)

Filming Locations:

Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, USA

Company:

Edward R. Pressman Film

Trivia:

In a June 2008 interview with The Guardian, Abel Ferrara, who directed and co-wrote the original Bad Lieutenant (1992), said that finding out his movie was being remade was "a horrible feeling", "like when you get robbed", and that those involved in this remake "should all die in hell". He also wondered how Nicolas Cage "can even have the nerve to play Harvey Keitel", and called screenwriter William M. Finkelstein an idiot.

Quotes:

Terence McDonagh: Shoot him again.
Deshaun 'Midget' Hackett: What for?
Terence McDonagh: His soul is still dancing.
[laughs histerically]

Movie Connections:

Remake of Bad Lieutenant (1992)

BLt: PoCNO rocks! There is no other way to describe it.

Seen at the Toronto International Film Festival Sept 17, 2009.

First off it is important to note that the Bad Lieutenant name was imposed by producer Edward Pressman in the hopes of building a future franchise. As Herzog said, a better franchise would be based on his title Port of Call New Orleans. The combined title is a compromise which Werner Herzog was willing to agree to.

Herzog was fun as always at the introductory remarks and the Q&A with TIFF programmer Colin Geddes. Telling anecdotes such as Cage asking him on the 2nd day of shooting what is his motivation and Herzog telling him not to worry about that, just go with "Evil is bliss" and sometimes "let the pig out!" (from the Bavarian colloquialism "Die Sau rauslassen!" / "Las die Sau raus!").

I'll confess that I had my doubts about this one simply based on the BLt title alone, imagining that this was going to be some sort of embarrassing sequel that has been imposed on Herzog for some bizarre contractual obligation reason. Have no fear about that! This is a Herzog movie and a Nicolas Cage on-a-rampage movie with all that those both imply. Even if certain clichés of the genre are adhered to (the prostitute girlfriend, the father who is an ex-cop now "drinking himself to death", etc.) these end up having totally different plot resolutions than you'd expect. Cage's second scene confronting the matron lady and her hairdresser alone is worth the price of admission. I know they don't give Oscars for roles like this (actually, maybe for Denzel they did) but this is the best Nicholas Cage I've seen in years.

Comment at the Q&A "I have seen 20 movies at this festival, and this is the most entertaining of all of them!" I couldn't agree more (and BLt:PoCNO was my 22nd). BLt:PoCNO rocks and Herzog rules! Seen at the Elgin Theatre/VISA Screening Room, the 2nd screening of 3 at TIFF 2009.