Review of Bound (1996) by Bobby B — 19 Nov 2009

Before they exploded into fame with their sci-fi masterpiece The Matrix, the Wachowski Brothers made this criminally underrated noir thriller. Bound was very well-reviewed, but seems to have received little attention and remains bizarrely underseen. A shame, because this is one of the most gleefully twisted and entertaining thrillers I've seen in quite some time.

The little attention that Bound does seem to receive focuses mostly on the lesbianism, which is understandable but unfortunate. Gina Gershon and Jennifer Tilly have endless erotic chemistry, and the sex scenes between them are stunning, but Bound has so much more to offer than that. For a while, it does appear that Bound will merely be an entertaining, trashy sex thriller, but about 40 minutes in it goes into overdrive. The last hour of Bound is essentially one extended climax of dizzying twists and turns, and the way the Wachowskis orchestrate the chaos is already masterful so early in their careers. It's rare to find a film that can sustain a non-stop level of suspense for a full hour, but Bound does just that. It's a nerve-wracking delight to watch it unfold.

The performances are also electrifying. Joe Pantoliano is a wonderful villian, perfectly balancing out frighteningly crazy and violent with a touch of sympathy. Gina Gershon is solid, although it was her partner in crime, Jennifer Tilly, who stole the show. Tilly is hilarious and effortlessly sexy, I loved her character's transformation. These fun performances, the wickedly smart script, and energetic direction from the Wackshowskis make Bound one of the coolest directorial debuts I've ever seen. It's not a masterpiece, but insanely impressive and entertaining as hell.