Seen at: Lyric Cinema Cafe, about a month ago
If you've seen the original Bad Lieutenant with Harvey Keitel, you probably know what to expect of this movie thematically. Herzog really pulls off a fresh update/sequel to the original that is worthy of the name, in my opinion.
The biggest change is that whereas Keitel's NYC character was just unredeemably corrupt and evil at hear, Cage's Big Easy lieutenant is portrayed as a decent person who falls victim to his weaknesses. These tragic elements more than justify a "second take" on the Bad Lieutenant theme. They combine to create a nice story arc as we follow the protagonist down the slide of corruption, and identify with his attempts to climb back out of the sewer before it is too late.
I'm not a big Nick Cage fan, but here he is at his best. He pulls off a powerful graphic sex scene involving a car, just like in the original Bad Lieutenant. Some things are de rigeur, if you want to earn the use of the title, as Herzog certainly does.
Story resolution is perfect---one of the best narrative wrap-ups I've seen in a while. Movie is not for everyone, but was certainly for me.
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