The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans

Nic Cage is rusty. No doubt about it. He’s been in so many crappy movies lately, none of which have allowed him to tap into all of those weird ticks and quirks that USED to make him an interesting actor, and now days make him a parody of himself. But in this, Werner Herzog and company let him loose, and the lunacy is inspired. Yes, the movie’s too long. It drags at times. But the magical moments when Cage is on and it starts getting crazy, it’s hysterical. The rest of the ensemble is surprisingly good, and the story is strong, even if the pace is sluggish. Not a home run. Not a classic. But a nice reminder of the Nic Cage of yore; Raising Arizona, Birdy, Vampire’s Kiss, Wild at Heart, and Leaving Las Vegas come to mind. For a second, you can actually forget National Treasure.