What gives? Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans seems to have only one strike against it … it’s an indie. Without a push from a major studio, Bad Lieutenant is barely hanging on to theatrical release, and that is a shame. The film was completed in 2008 and has struggled to find a distributor. Now it is under the auspices of First Look Studios which specializes in the release of independent films.
Bad Lieutenant is so solid on all fronts that it is hard to believe it has been relegated to film festival status. Directed by award winning Werner Herzog, it stars box office powerhouse Nicolas Cage. His previous effort, “Knowing”, garnered mixed reviews, yet still managed to gross $183 million worldwide. Compare that to Bad Lieutenant which was released in an insulting 27 theaters last week and has taken in just $900,000.
Why this film couldn’t or didn’t attract a major studio is a mystery. In addition to Nicolas Cage, it co-stars fellow A-lister Val Kilmer and the vivacious and more than capable Eva Mendes. It is the perfect vehicle for Cage who plays a well intentioned cop who falls into drug use and gambling after nursing a bad back with prescription pain killers. His life degenerates and he becomes entwined with the criminal element he is supposed to fight. The story is set in post Katrina New Orleans.
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans is listed for show times in the metropolitan areas of New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco and Washington DC for Thanksgiving weekend. There is always the possibility of a slow build up to wide release, but First Look Studios has already announced a DVD release date, making that prospect unlikely. With a Tomatometer review rating of 86%, you have to wonder, what is wrong with this picture?
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