MovieChat Forums > The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans (2009) Discussion > Do critics only like this...

Do critics only like this...

posted 12 years ago by A_Fistful_of_Pennies
6 replies | jump to latest

Because it's Herzog? I'm a huge fan of the man, love most of his work. This wasn't very good though. As a serious movie, it didn't work. Even if it is a "dark comedy", doesn't quite work either. I actually think it was supposed to be serious and was just poorly done, but people don't want to question a guy with a rep as a great director. I think if Christopher Nolan went out and made a movie that was a shot of a piece of poop for 3 hours people would praise it (I love Nolan just an example).

I just felt like this would have been a completely mediocre and boring film if you took Cage out of it, and as it is...it's a completely mediocre film that's maybe a little more entertaining than it should be because of Cage.

[–] PotassiumMan 12 years ago

This film has a strong enough story and solid enough execution that one could enoy it even without being aware that it was a Werner Herzog film. In fact, I largely forgot about that fact as I got into this film.

[–] franzkabuki 12 years ago

"Do critics only like this because it´s Herzog?"

Why don´t you read the reviews and find out?

"I actually think it was supposed to be serious and was just poorly done".

Goes to show how little idea you have as to what Herzog as a filmmaker is all about.

"facts are stupid things" - Ronald Reagan

[–] Steve_2 11 years ago

I don't think that's fair. But I do kind of wonder why Herzog, who can basically do whatever he wants these days, chose to make a "bad cop" film.

[–] LateNightCable 11 years ago

This movie is difficult to put into a box and categorize, and I think that is to it's merit.
There are short moments where it plays like a modern Hitchcock suspense thriller, only to turn around and surprise you with something very quirky and absurd. I love it! It's the kind of movie that exists within it's own version of New Orleans…

Take David Lynch's Blue Velvet for example. It too was full of contradictory elements, including a town that didn't seem quite real, and birds that definitely were not. And nobody would call that a bad movie because of it. This is the kind of movie making that people who get it enjoy, and other people disregard because they think it's just sloppy.

Bad Lieutenant breezes along in a loose, carefree fashion. The same way that Cage does throughout the entire film, while snorting coke, and seeing lizards and a breakdancing soul. It's meant to reflect reality, but with a healthy does of interpretive artistry. And also absurdity that you probably wouldn't see in real life.

" Cristal, Beluga, Wolfgang Puck... It's a f#@k house."

[–] franzkabuki 11 years ago

Quite possibly, the aspect about this project that fascinated Herzog the most, was the location, the post-hurricane chaotic vibes of New Orleans.

"facts are stupid things" - Ronald Reagan

[–] knoxfan2008 11 years ago

It was honestly a weird film for Herzog (than usual). It has the production values and cinematography of a WWE produced film. He went for something but I don't think he was fully successful. Cage was awesome, but when you got past the Cage moments and some of the humour and hallucinations it was all kinda plain and really generic. I thought it was pretty good, but I was disappointed by how it seemed to go halfway with everything