Cage is Back

An intriguing, character-driven film where one man can make a whole movie worth watching, “The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans” has plenty of sizzle, and Nicolas Cage certainly is the right actor for the job. An intense film and one that will leave the audience impressed and wanting more, it is fair to say that Cage dominates the screen, and was a character definitely worth rooting for.

With that said, “Port of Call” is a film that will make you want to root for the bad guy.

Terence McDonagh, played by Nicolas Cage, is a corrupt detective in post-Katrina New Orleans. After injuring his back on the job, McDonagh is now prescribed painkillers. The problem now is that he is addicted to that and other drugs such as heroin and cocaine. This soon forces him to break the law in increasingly audacious and defiant ways in order to feed his habit, all the while his shenanigans threaten to wreck the drug-related homicide case he is working on, while his gambling problems – involving unpaid debts and run ins with the underworld – threaten to cost him his life.

Through this, it’s easy to see that Cage gives his best performance since his Academy Award-winning film “Leaving Las Vegas.” His character in “Port of Call” is absolutely demented. His tantrums and short fuse is what causes Cage to light up the screen and make the audience feel his madness.

Keeping the embers burning is the solid supporting cast. Eva Mendez (“We Own the Night”) plays Frankie Donnenfield, McDonagh’s girlfriend and fellow junkie. Xzibit plays Big Fate, a kingpin and murderer. As a rapper/actor, Xzibit does not try to take over the screen like others tend to do – he is himself in a good way, not trying to do too much. The one negative of this supporting cast however is Val Kilmer, who plays detective Stevie Pruit. The extra pounds he packed on seem to compromise his intensity, making his performance so putrid that this film would not be affected one bit if he was not on-screen.

Director Werner Herzog (“Rescue Dawn”) does a great job of focusing on the main character of the film and making him loveable. This is the reason why this film is worth watching.

Also helping matters are a few weird scenes throughout, such as close-ups of iguanas and crocodiles, which were part of McDonagh’s hallucinations, while he was high on drugs. As the camera is on them, the film tends to go in slow-motion while blues music is played in the background. A funny scene involving McDonagh is when he is involved in a shootout with people who are after him. After a well-known mob boss dies, McDonagh, high on crack, orders Big Fate to still shoot the man even though he is dead. The reason for this is because McDonagh is hallucinating and is watching the man break dance. McDonagh says several times that his soul is still dancing.

These are just a few of the memorable scenes in this tour-de-force that give the film the candor, composition and charisma needed to catapult Cage back into contention for more high-profile roles.

Overall, “The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans” is a great film; a must if you are interested in character-driven films. Cage’s performance should be considered for an Oscar – it was that good. Even if you are not a big Cage fan, you will love his performance in this film and respect the fact that he can turn it up a notch. “Port of Call” will have you talking in no time.