Movie : Bad Lieutenant

“You tell aunt Wendy to get the fuck out of the bathroom”.  “Call me. I’ll throw her the fuck out”.This is some of the opening conversation we hear in a car between a father and his two young sons as he drives them to school. He’s a cop and wants to get to where he’s going and he doesn’t want to fuck around. His day consists of collecting drug money, getting high, hanging with his women, laying bets on baseball and doing some cop work on the side. Working a case of a nun who was brutally raped. Things are not going well for the Lieutenant. Basically we follow him as his spins out of control, feeding his addictions and whatever is left of his policing skills.

Abel Ferrara pulls no punches here. He uses a gritty New York background (which is perfect), sprinkles in some good acting support, gives us a bare bones story line and then turns Harvey Keitel loose to come unglued. Harvey is the show. He is an uncensored mess. Not pretty, not likable and certainly not everyone’s taste (my gal’s favorite part was when the cop was put out of his misery). Keitel is fantastic. In the moment, real, truthful, raw and sick. He did his homework and  released it for us to witness. He has a couple human moments in the film but the addictions over ride whats left of anything healthy. His black hole trumps everything decent

BL is a dark ride, nothing pretty. The life style is not glamorized in any way. Harvey is at the top of his game. It might not appeal to everyone (it won’t) but if you want to see an actor take it to the edge you might dig it CB did.

“I’m sorry. I did so many bad things”. Yes you did Harv.