BOUND (1996) A Film Review by Ted Prigge Copyright 1997 Ted Prigge
Writers/Directors: Andy and Larry Wachowski Starring: Gina Gershon, Jennifer Tilly, Joe Pantoliano, John P. Ryan, Christopher Meloni, Richard C. Sarafian
Lately, the sub-genre of film noir has been coming back in a big way. With "L.A. Confidential" being dubbed one of the best films of the year, we're seeing a 90s version of a once-dead group of films which delighted in presenting a world full of harsh, selfish, amoral people, all out to screw eachother over more than an episode of "Melrose Place." With "Bound," we get the perfect epitome of the new wave film noir. It's a stylish, politically incorrect, and deliciously nasty tale of greed, trust, betrayal, and good old fashioned lesbianism. WOO-HOO!
The big news for this film was that it was a film noir dealing with a pair of LESBIANS who decide to rip off the mob. As you can tell, the main hook seems to be that the two protagonists are two female LESBIANS. But, this flick is more than that. Yes, I was already there when I found out that this flick featured a "steamy lesbian sex scene." But yeah, I could get that on Cinemax on any late night of the week...if I HAD Cinemax. But, this film surrounds that with a well-developed plot, characters we like and/or care about in some fashion, and an amazing directorial style which makes this film dripping with mood and pure, unadulterated tension. Even the lesbo sex scene is well-directed.
The film, as I said, tells about two lesbians, and we see them when they first meet. Corky (Gina Gershon, fresh off of "Showgirls," where she played a bisexual stripper who makes out with Elizabeth Berkley - I haven't seen it) is a butch crook who has just gotten out of prison, and is doing a job for a mafia friend which requires her to...paint an apartment. When she gets on the elevator, she finds herself on it with a mafiaso guy (Joe Pontaliano) and his cute moll (Jennifer Tilly). The two chicks trade flirtatious looks, and we find out that Corky is going to be working in the apartment adjacent to that of the mafiaso and his moll.
The film takes us through their courtship, which is funny and intriguing. Corky and her (name is Violet) meet a couple times before one day Corky gets a call to fetch an earring out of Violet's sink. Before you can say "foreplay," the two are making out on the floor, and soon engaging in some good old sex. Some problems come up where they begin to loose trust in eachother, but it becomes known that Violet's man (name is Caesar) is holding two million in stolen money in their apartment. The two begin plotting an ingenius scheme which would not only help them get rich together, but also get away clean with Caesar blame.
This is only the first 20 minutes or so, by the way. We are soon tossed into a world of Hitchcockian tension. Each step along the way gets more and more frightening, and soon we are gripping the arms of our chairs. Why do we do this? Well, the direction is fantastic, and we realize we actually care about these characters. In a typical or even good thriller, the characters are half-interesting, more characateur, and we only care about them because they are deemed "protagonist." But here, the directors make us care about these characters. Hence, we're more into it.
The direction is the real highlight of the film cinematically (we all know what the real highlight is otherwise, though, eh?). The Wachowski brothers find interesting things for the camera to do in every single shot. Whether it's showing a close-up of blood squishing through the carpet as someone steps on it, or if it's a wonderfully cool zipping tracking shot of information going from one telephone cord to another, the cinematography is always interesting, and highly snubbed at this year's Oscars. Look at the art direction in this film, and tell me you don't already feel tense.
Also, instead of going for some cheap-ass Valerie Solonas message that guys are jerks, and women should stick together to the bitter end, this film aims for just a fun twist on the subgenre (as well as some more fans from Howard Stern listeners). It doesn't take up a lot of the film (thank god), but just adds some more fun to the film, by letting us see Gina and Jennifer show true chemistry.
The only complaint I have is that Jennifer Tilly's voice is annoying, but I will say that it's less in this film than in others. Not sure why either. If you've never heard it, it's very squeaky and high-pitched (a friend said she would rather view it dubbed in another language, just so they didn't have to listen to it). But nevertheless Tilly is an excellent actress, and so is Gershon. The two have fantastic chemistry, and make for two of the most memorable two leads in film noir.
Many thrillers are cheap, redundant, and sometimes even boring. "Bound" is the complete opposite. From the moment that they're past the point of no return, we're in a web of pure and utter tension. Not many thrillers can do this, and hold it without any peaks and valleys, but the Wachowski brothers can, and can do it in spades. And if you're not already sold, just remember: it has lesbians.
MY RATING (out of 4): ****
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