Bound
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Movie Reviews of Bound
Movie Review: One of my favorite films of the '90s
Summary: 5 Stars
Before the (godawful) Matrix series, the Wachowski brothers gave filmgoers the erotic "Bound" starring Gina Gershon and Jennifer Tilly. I am by far no fan of Jennifer Tilly, her voice irritates me to no ends of the earth. Plus most of her films that I have seen her in have been pretty bad but surprisingly enough I liked her in "Bound". "Bound" is one of my favorite films from the '90s.
Gina Gershon stars as Corky, a convicted felon who had just gotten out of prison. She lands a job that involved fixing up an apartment in a seedy apartment building. There she meets Violet (Jennifer Tilly), the girlfriend to the psychotic, abusive Caesar (Joe Pantoliano). The two women literally hook up together within minutes of the movie. Normally that would happen in the middle of a film but the Wachowski brothers decided to avoid the cliche and put the love scene in the first 15-20 minutes of the film. I read that erotica expert Susie Bright was hired as a consultant in the film for the love scenes between the two actresses. I thought the love scenes were pretty convincing, a lot more than in most mainstream films that involves lesbian love scenes. After hooking up with Corky and listening to Caesar and his mob buddies punish another mobster, Violet realizes that she wants to get out of this life once and for all. She recruits Corky's help to help steal $2 million from the mob (which is in Caesar and Violet's apartment) and skip town with it.
I am not really into gangster films but "Bound" is by no means your traditional gangster film. I found the writing engaging and the performances by the Gina Gershon, Jennifer Tilly, and Joe Pantoliano entertaining. For people who might be faint at heart, there is a lot of bloodshed in the film but no more than in most films nowadays. Still the scene with Caesar and his mob buddies torturing another mobster made me cringe, no matter how many times I have seen the film. I thought the dialogue was hilarious although it bordered on hokeyness like when Violet says to Corky that she was glad that she [Corky] told her about her time in prison. Another cheesy moment was when Violet was talking to Corky over the phone and both women placed their hands on the wall in the exact spot where each other's hands were in each different room. "Law & Order: Special Victim Unit" star Christopher Meloni (with a lot more hair) makes a cameo appearance as the stupid, psychotic mobster Johnny. I loved it when Johnny would find a way to irritate Caesar.
I wish movies today were as engaging and fast-paced "Bound" was. What I really liked about "Bound" is that the film didn't drag on for an eternity. It was fast paced. I thought the way the film was edited gave the film viewer a glimpse to what was to expect from the Wachowksi brothers. There were moments when I felt that the film had that same feel in cinematography that the first "Matrix" film had. Great movie. Certainly one of my favorite movies from the past decade.
Movie Review: A great Joe Pantoliano in an excellent movie exercise
Summary: 5 Stars
The Wachowski Brothers are a little like Steven Spielberg. They have begun their career as filmmakers with a really good exercise of suspense thriller, like Spielberg did with "Duel". Then, like him, they have ended up in Hollywood and made a series of commercial and technically unpersonal films. So forget about "The Matrix", which is just a mixing of too many elements of Asian cinema (John Woo, kung-fu, and Japanese mangas - "Ghost in the Shell") in a Hollywood production, and let's concentrate on the independent movie this review is supposed to be about."Bound" tells the story of two beautiful but greedy lesbians, Violet (Jennifer Tilly, "The Bride of Chucky") and Corky (Gina Gershon, "Showgirls"), who decide to rob the lover of the first one. Corky, who's a crook, just got away from prison and of course, she's the one who gets the idea. Her plan is machiavelic and requires great precision. Their victim is played by an extraordinary Joe Pantoliano (not Patliano, Mr. Deffley), who'll be back as treator Cypher in "The Matrix", four years later. He's Cesar, and his job is clean drug money for a mobster played by John P. Ryan ("Runaway Train"). Pantoliano plays his character with incredible intensity; he totally invests himself in his fooled character (WHERE... IS... MY... MONEY?), always run around and around by the two witches, and makes an amazing performance which'd have deserved at least an Oscar nomination. When Corky takes the money out of Cesar's suitcase without moving the case, replacing the money with old newspapers, the story gets tough and the massacre begins. Confidence and trust between the two girls mix with treason and confusion between them, Cesar and the mobsters, and the whole keeps on in a bloody and dark ambiance until the final climax.
The Wachowski Brothers prove, with their first film, that money is the first source of violence and death in our societies. They do it with a surprising talent, ability and competence. They also prove their uncontestable technical and artistic knowledge. Their story is really original: here the usual couple of gangsters is replaced by a couple of lesbians and the story is not the one of a runaway; it entirely takes place in a closed space, managing to get powerful characters involved in it. The result is highly interesting and intense.
After watching this movie, we can think that it's too bad that the Wachowski Brothers didn't do like Quentin Tarantino, that they didn't keep their independent status. Because "Bound" can very easily be compared to "Reservoir Dogs". By getting completely involved in Hollywood, they lost their cult status and let themselves get overwhelmed by the huge success of noisy and hi-tech "The Matrix".
Movie Review: "Bullet Time" Is Born
Summary: 5 Stars
If you need only one reason to get this DVD, here it is: the audio commentary track. It is absolutely hilarious, and in many cases very insightful. Directors and Executive Producers Andy and Larry Wachowski join editor Zach Staenberg and Technical Consultant Susie Bright, along with Joe Pantoliano, Jennifer Tilly and Gina Gershon in a very candid and comical commentary on the visually stunning achievement that is Bound. Jennifer joins in at about 1:07:00 and finally Gershon shows up at 1:17:44. They all add meaning to each single scene, my only wish is that they would have included the bloopers/deleted scenes. I actually laughed out loud many times during the commentary. In fact, this is the first time ever I listened to a complete commentary track. It is a must for all cinema buffs out there. They keep talking about Laser Disc, I guess the DVD format was not out just yet. Yes, there was life before DVD Very few cons:
The commentary track seem to be damaged - it is not a physical defect on the disc itself. The audio goes out at 52:06 and comes back at 53:30. Not a big deal, but we will probably never know what was said in those 84 seconds :)
Towards the end the commentary kind of breaks down because everyone talks over each other.
The movie itself:
What can I say? It is extremely sexy, funny, technically well crafted, beautifully shot, spectacularly edited It is a love story, a gangster movie, a sexy thriller, a caper flick, it is a lot of things at once. It is amazing what $4.5M and a superb cast & crew can do. Joe Pantoliano (Caesar) steals the movie, but the performances of Tilly (Violet) , Gershon (Corky), and specifically John Ryan (Mickey) are extraordinary.
Of course there are many parallels with the next Wachowski brothers project, The Matrix (or is it the other way around?). For starters, we can appreciate the first conceptual bullet time time slows down dramatically during a shooting sequence. Obviously we couldnt foresee Matrix-type visual effects but looking back we can witness the birth of something revolutionary. Zach Staenberg also edited The Matrix, and of course, Joey Pants delighted us in The Matrix as well. Im sure there are more things in common.
Forget about the R-rated version get the unrated DVD. The unrated version shows an astounding one-shot love scene not shown entirely in the theater release. Youll see why. Technically alone it is good to watch ;)
Few special features that would make the DVD even better:
1. Bloopers
2. Deleted Scenes
3. Maybe a Directors Cut ???
4. Cast interviews
5. Making of featurette
For everything that it is, Bound deserves a solid 5 star rating.
Movie Review: A Brilliant, Yet, Highly Underrated Film.
Summary: 5 Stars
Before the Wachowski Brothers (errr..Siblings?) hit it big with "The Matrix Trilogy," they made a more modest, but just as exciting film called "Bound." "Bound" is a lot of things, filled to the brim with comedy, sex, action and suspense. The film works, to a lesser extent, in the way that "Pulp Fiction" did, with surreal violence and quirky characters. It's got a great cast, but the movie is really centered upon the brilliant trio of Jennifer Tilly, Gina Gershon and Joe Pantoliano, who all turn in great performances and give a lot to their characters. Tilly plays Violet, the wife of Caesar, an awkward mobster, played to a "T" by Pantoliano. When Violet gets bored of being a prize wife to Caesar, she finds herself falling for an ex-con who is painting the apartment next-door. As things turn out, this ex-con is a woman, a bona-fide lesbian by the name of Corky, played by Gershon. Corky falls for Violet as well, and the two begin a forbidden romance, which in turns makes for some rather sexy scenes between Tilly and Gershon -- yes, there is even a bit of nudity. The two eventually stage a runaway and robbery of Caesar and the two million-something dollars he is babysitting. The plot gets more complicated from here on out, as each step the characters make seems to get them into deeper trouble, and the stakes are constantly being raised. This is one of those movies where you never look at the time, you are just so engrossed by what is going on in front of you. The only disappointment here is that the ending works out just a little too easy, sort of like the Wachowski's cheated. But even still, it's a top rate thriller. While the first third of the movie is centered around lesbian lust (and is probably worth the DVD price alone), the rest of the movie is much more serious but just as entertaining. It was also pretty cool to see the Wachowski's test some of the shots and methods they used (and in turn, got famous for) in "The Matrix." This movie definitely has their mark on it, and if you are a fan, it's just another good reason to check this flick out. The DVD has some decent features, mainly a commentary track from the usually silent Wachowski's and a few castmembers, with a trailer to go along with it. All in all, a really well-done and thoroughly entertaining movie. The scenes between Gershon and Tilly alone are worth the price of admission.Movie Review: NEW AGE NOIR A CULT CLASSIC
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a refreshing, overlooked noir classic by the Wachowski brothers of MATRIX fame. Glued to my seat at the theatre for this one. Simple gangster tale but different as it is done with a modern-day stroke of the brush and effrontery---two gay femmes being the smart alecks. All about a gangster and his moll, the former accountable for the pick-up and timely delivery of a huge sum of mob money to big kahuna gang boss who's flying in to make the pick-up personally. Slight problem as gangster's lady conspires with female plumber/handy-"man" working in their building to steal the cash and place the blame on gangland incompetence. Major problem as the boy[s] responsible for the loss will have to pay with their heads---Mafia style. The gangster responsible for the cash is played by an always engaging pre-SOPRANOS Joe Pantoliano [as Caesar] who gives a MEMORABLE and RIVETING performance and basically steals the show [though not the money]. His back-stabbing babe is played perturbingly well by Jennifer Tilly and the pipe-cleaner [no pun intended] is played convincingly well by Gina Gershon. Christopher Meloni as Johnnie Marzzone [pre- LAW AND ORDER and OZ] is ABSOLUTELY MARVELOUS as the son of Mafia boss Gino Marzzone. Johnnie and Caesar despise each other, mainly the result of mutual envy and the fact that Johnnie has tunnel-vision for Caesar's lady. Their antagonistic banter is loads of fun. All hell breaks loose once Caesar returns home with the cash only to have it disappear. He knows this is a death sentence. Spurred on by Tilly's subterfuge Caesar goes into a paranoid frenzy as the clock ticks for Don Gino's arrival. Very tense and suspenseful action here as Caeasar cracks and starts dispatching prime suspects of the theft starting with Johnnie and ending with the purgative and unexpected execution of the Don himself---this the point of no return. With bodies starting to pile up in his bathtub the cops come knocking on his door in response to a neighbor's complaint of hearing gunfire. Got to see the rest yourself. Wince-inducing "ask-ya-ten-times" bathroom scene with a guy losing a finger each time he doesn't come up with the desired answer is brutal. The whispering femme fatale Tilly and beer-guzzling Gershon quite a pair as they heat up the tension, Pantoliano's temper and themselves. Highly recommended.