Review of Bad Lieutenant (1992) by Dylon M — 20 Feb 2010

The Bad Lieutenant is one of those films where you wish you could say good things about it, because it tries so hard to be an amazing film. I think that's its main problem. You can't force a film to be amazing, it just is. The director and the actors and the writers, hell everyone, has to really work hard, have good chemistry, feel the movie and become a part of it. That's what makes an amazing film. Director Abel Ferrara tries every trick in the book to make this one of those "films overwrought with emotional power" type movies and it doesn't quite reach that potential.

One of my all-time favorite actors (Harvey Keitel) plays a nameless Lieutenant for the NYPD. He is an extreme drug abuser who has not only lost his faith to god, but is circling the drain in a quick downward spiral of sex, drugs, alcohol. This is the best thing about the movie, Harvey Keitel. In choosing this role, Keitel was stepping into one of the most daring and controversial role I've seen. He gives one hell of a powerful performance. Probably one of his best. Sadly, he's really the only character of the film. There's almost no other characters with more than 5 or 6 minutes of screen time. This is kind of a drag. Some movies do well with only having one main character (like Serpico, Pi, and more recently Moon), but The Bad Lieutenant can't seem to pull it off.

Abel Ferrara seems to be influenced a great deal by Martin Scorsese here. Much like Scorsese's earlier work, this deals with a confused or morally depressed character seeking religious redemption. Similar to Mean Streets, Keitel has the lead role in this also. The use of music is also (somewhat) the same. Though Ferrara doesn't hold a candle to Marty, the directing is not all that bad. However, it is kind of lacking at times, like the fact that it tries too hard. One thing I did like about The Bad Lieutenant is that it was risque and very controversial. I have a lot of respect for anyone who is willing to step outside the box and take a jump in directing or acting, even if it's not good. It takes some big 'nads to do that. Another bad thing though, is that is doesn't allow us to properly become absorbed or empathetical to Keitel's character. We know he's doing things he shouldn't do, and that those things could kill him, but Ferrara doesn't really create any depth for him. There's no ultimatums, no insight into his family life, no connections to friends, or things he could loose, which makes it hard to connect here.

But I don't wanna rag on the film to much. It's not completely bad. I don't believe it's as good as his gangster flick "King of New York" (which I really liked) but it has some alright directing and a very stellar performance on Keitels part which make it worth a watch. Who knows, maybe you 'll love it.