The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans (Werner Herzog, 2009)
This is one of those films that has gotten a lot of similar reviews, so I'm not really going to emphasise the "batshit crazy" aspect. It's probably reflective of the role choices Cage has made over the years, leading to this self-fulfilling meme of "crazy Nic and his crazy acting".
Cage sort of does a Kinski, but he injects humour and a shagginess to his role, which was unexpected and pleasing. I thought it was going to be the full-on hysteria mode for the whole film, but Cage's lieutenant travels a layered journey, full of craziness and drugs, yes, but also with moments of insight and tenderness, especially with Mendes. I loved the physical aspect of his character, his rigidity, slightly robotic, like his shoulders are held up by wires. His face is a grimace, his teeth always seem to be showing. He's a walking drug acquirer, taking anything he sees with very little apology or artifice, and his accent oscillates between the Cage drawl and this wiseguy sort of staccato. Sure, there are the crazy moments, but I think the story actually
works, and so while Cage teeters on the edge, he's always drawn back in to the universe of the film.
The film looks like it had a limited budget, and Herzog's can-do, minimal takes ethos really shows, but it doesn't seem that bad a thing. In fact, as the film went on, I really started to enjoy the outdoor locations and the way Kinski captured them. He obviously has a documentarian's eye, as he seemed to forego the usual atmosphere-building techniques of other policiers/thrillers, and give the film a stark, naked, almost improv look.
In the end, I think this film had the potential for a train wreck, sure, but it just damn works. Whether it was Herzog harnessing the energy of Cage, while downplaying the genre elements, I don't know, but everything stays on line. The film finishes and I don't shake my head at the madness, but just marvel at the skills of those at the helm.
Easily one of the most enjoyable films I've seen this year.