Nic Cage is the More Badderer Lieutenant?
Posted on May 13th, 2008 by Craig Kennedy
Alynch pointed this out and I can only ask: “Why would Werner Herzog remake Abel Ferrara’s Bad Lieutenant along with Nic Cage?”
I get the Nic Cage part, but not the Werner Herzog part.
“Jan De Bont remakes Bad Lieutenant with Nic Cage” would make a certain stupid sense, but Herzog?
Is this an error?
Is it a joke?
Jesus wept. [John 11:35]
Ach! Nein, nein, nein!
Are you doing your Hillary impersonation?
I only can think of two possibilities. Either this TV writer has written a truly amazing script that somehow brings something unique to the table, or Herzog is just taking a straight up money job, which is strange since I can’t think of a single other time he’s done this in the past. It seems like that might be the case though. I mean doesn’t Herzog pretty much always direct his own scripts?
I don’t see what the problem is - if Herzog is involved, it’ll be at least worth seeing. Maybe Cage had director approval and picked Herzog to compensate for the National Treasure/Next/Ghost Rider/Next streak of crap he’s been on.
Two things: shudder to think and alexander, that was brilliant!
I’m not a big fan of Ferrara’s or this film. It’s a lot of extreme acting class exercises and excessive Catholic guilt. But Keitel’s so out there he’s in.
Will Herzog and Cage actually re-do the scene with the girls in the car?
With Herzog, likely with non-actresses. Can’t you just see him with his German accent going up to people, ‘Hello, we’re making a film and we need your help…”
If it’s Herzog, I’m in. The guy’s attraction is that he is never doing what you think he will - he is the quintessential paradox, more so than any other director I can think of (Lynch is a close second, but since I don’t care for his work much, I’ll let Herzog trump him). The guy jumps for bizzaro docs to bizzaro films to mainstream films (Rescue Dawn) and then back again. A remake with Nic Cage? Just another bizzaro choice that, in my mind, makes perfect sense simply because it makes no sense at all.
Well said, Evan.
Can’t stand Cage, but I “had fun” with the National Treasure movies…
You’d think Cage would stay away from re-makes after THE WICKER MAN…
How’d she get raped? How’d she get raped?!? How’d she get raped, how’d she get raped, how’d she get raped?!?!?!?!? HOW’D SHE GET RAPED?!?!?!?!
I’m still laughing at Jeff’s envisioning of Herzog asking people for their help for that scene.
I like Bad Lieutenant, but I agree with Christian about Ferrara in general. I love Catholic guilt as much as anyone but he really hammers it into so much his films increasingly lack much oxygen.
For years Nic Cage took on daring, challenging, and interesting roles. Now all that talent is squandered on genre film making of the least engaging kind that he can sleep walk through. What happened to the artist in him and his self-respect? It’s not like he needs the money.
I loves me some Abel Ferrara. He may not always hit the ball out of the park but I welcome his original voice and sensibility. I think the Catholic guilt angle gives his films some psychological substance and ambition.
Nic Cage needs to disappear for a little while, methinks.
I’ve decided Iike Evan’s positive spin on this story. I don’t see a need to remake Bad Lieutenant, but if someone’s going to do it, let it be Herzog. Why not?
Cage will always have a soft spot in my heart for Raising Arizona, Moonstruck and Leaving Las Vegas. Whatever else he does, there’s always that.
The problem with Cage is that over the last half decade or so, he’s been involved in so much mediocrity that his more interesting work (Weather Man, Lord of War, Matchstick Men) just kind of blends in with everything else. He just needs to let himself be more selective for the next few years.
Completely agree with that, alynch. Especially Lord of War, which I found fascinating, a kind of Goodfellas-lite take on an arms dealer with biting social repercussions.
On the balance, though, Cage lost the last bit of his full performance “mojo” (by which I mean it’s his last really great, from beginning to ending, piece of work to me) with Adaptation, which is one of those films that, to me, belongs with the ones Craig named as being his saving graces.
His Fu Manchu cameo in Grindhouse is a saving grace as well.
For the most part, though, Sean Penn is correct that Cage quit being an actor a while ago. That said, Penn hasn’t done anything too memorable for a while, either. In fact, I’d say he suffers from the exact opposite problem of Cage–he takes himself too seriously nowadays and the spontaneity of his performances have taken a substantial hit as a result.
Well, Herzog usually won’t ask an actor to do anything he won’t do first. All I’m saying is this is a set I don’t need to be on.
I like Herzog, I am thoroughly tired of Cage (regardless of his pre-Bruckheimer period), and don’t have any feelings really on Ferrera or Bad Lieutenant. It was one of those movies I skipped because the hype overwhelmed my middling interest. In general, I’ve skipped most of Ferrera’s movies because what I saw and what I’ve heard about the rest hasn’t sparked my interest.
So my opinion is that I’d prefer Herzog skip the remake and Nicholas Cage but if he has something interesting to bring to the table, then by all means GO. Otherwise…meh.
Alexander, I’ve not encountered a poor Penn performance in the films I’ve seen. Then again, I’ve missed his last 3 roles. He did well in the juicy Mystic River role, but I thought he was even better in 21 Grams. Penn probably always took himself too seriously. His adamancy and intensity, and doctrinarian inclination are such core traits. They’ve been expertly channeled, together with his potential for volatility, to produce many powerful performances.
Joel, you confine yourself so :-) Turning your back on Cannes and Ferrara.
Sartre, actually I was thinking exactly of his last three performances, as I think his performance in 21 Grams is one of his very best (along with Sweet and Lowdown, for instance) and I thought I was the only person who believed his performance in that film to be superior to his Mystic River turn. The Assassination of Richard Nixon, The Interpreter and All the King’s Men all failed to do much for me. All the King’s Men is my least favorite Penn performance ever save for I Am Sam.
I’m hoping for a comeback with Milk and then Tree of Life.
Just as well I missed them. I have high hopes for Milk and Tree of Life too.
I concur on 21 Grams. A better performance in a (I think) a better movie, but neither are films I really want to revisit. I think Penn’s persona may overwhelm his acting quite a bit of the time. I sometimes have a hard time separating the man from the actor, and I don’t mind his public displays all that much. I imagine the people that really hate his politics must forego his acting entirely.