Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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91 of 93 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent film-noir, December 12, 1999
The Wachowski Brothers (writers of the Stallone/Banderas flick "Assassins") make their directorial debut with this film-noir thriller. Bound is the classic tale of a gangster's moll named Violet (Jennifer Tilly) wanting to escape the business and her mob boyfriend Ceasar (Joe Pantoliano) and enlists the help of her new love interest (Gina Gershon) to do it.Except this movie has a twist. The "handyman" next door, Corky, is a butch dyke who's just got out of prison for the "redistribution of wealth" and redecorating the apartment next to Violet and Ceasar's. Violet, pouty-lipped and husky-voiced, seduces Corky and the two come up with a plan to steal 2 million dollars that Ceasar is holding for his mob boss, and escape from mob life. The plotline, seemingly formulaic, has many twists and surprises for the viewer. Not to mention a steamy love scene between Corky and Violet, surpervised by real-life sexpert Susie Bright (who also had a cameo in the film) to make sure the lesbian scene was accurate. One of the real standouts, besidse the great acting between Tilly and Gershon, is Joe Pantoliano as the gangster Ceasar. His portrayal of the small-time hood is dead-on, and we find that even Ceasar, who is supposedly being screwed over by his mistress and her lover, is also very clever. Over all, I found this movie very exciting and was spellbound when I saw it. However, it is not for the squeamish. There are a few violent scenes, and some persons might find the lesbian sex scene offensive (what I don't get is why?). However, I'd suggest this movie to any fan of 40s-50s gangster movies, and even Tarantino and Coen Brothers fans. Another movie you might want to check out is "The Matrix," which was also done by the Wachowskis.
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24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of my favorite films of all time, August 16, 2005
I rented this movie long ago, not having a clue what it was about (best way to watch a film), and it blew me away. The style and direction is amazing. It's not for everyone... for example, I raved about it to my brother, he saw it, and said I have weird taste in film (this is no romantic-comedy-type movie!).
The two lead females were so sexy together that it practically made me want to turn into a lesbian. But the best part was that when the action started, on top of all the suspense and action, you didn't know if the two woman were just using each other or really cared for each other.
This is a good film for people open to movies with violence, like if you were a fan of Pulp Fiction. It's a very smart film.
Another great movie that not a lot of people have heard about that was on Siskle and Ebert's top 10 list one year (I believe in the #1 spot) is One False Move-- a great film!
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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The heat from this movie is sizzling!!!!, March 24, 2007
Before the Wachowski Brothers did The Matrix, there was the erotic thriller, Bound, starring Jennifer Tilly, Gina Gershon, Joe Pantoliano, John P. Ryan, and Christopher Meloni. This was a low budget movie (four-and-a-half million dollars) that was to be the calling card for Andy and Larry Wachowski so that they could eventually do The Matrix series. They both wrote and directed Bound, demonstrating their unbelievable talent in making a film that would quickly become a cult classic in just a few short years. The script was sharp and fresh with more twists in it than a pretzel. They were able to get the two sexiest women in Hollywood at the time (Tilly and Gershon) to play the leads with Joe Pantoliano agreeing to take a cut in salary for his role as Caesar. They got a great Production Designer, Editor and Director of Photography to make Bound's appearance to be more film noir in essence with its dark tones and shadows and sparse cutting. The rest as they say is history.
Bound deals with Corky (played by Gershon), who just got out of prison after having served five years for what she calls a distribution of funds, or stealing. She was betrayed by her female partner and therefore has a severe lack of trust in those around her. She takes a job as a maintenance repair guy in a Chicago condo building and soon meets the vibrant and sexy Violet (played to the hilt by Tilly), who's the girlfriend of Caesar, a money launderer for the Mob. The couple live in the condo right next to the one that Corky is doing repairs in. The attraction between Corky and Violet is immediate, and it isn't long before Violet sexually seduces her. Corky knows trouble when she sees it, but that doesn't stop her from giving in to Violet's manipulations. It isn't long, however, before Violet makes the suggestion to her new lover that they steal two million dollars of the Mob's money, allowing Caesar to take the fall for its lost. What a deal--two million dollars, plus Violet. How could any man, or woman, say no to that. Of course, nothing goes according to the plan as all hell breaks lose with Caesar doing just the opposite of what the two ladies had hoped for. Then, there's the question of whether or not Corky will once again find herself being betrayed by the woman she cares about. Any and everything can happen before the ending is reached as betrayal, torture and murder become the norm for this outstanding film.
This movie is everything a viewer could hope for. It's scary, funny and sexy to the ninth degree. Tilly and Gershon heat up the screen with their lovemaking and dubious intentions. They capture theirs roles with perfect aplomb, delighting in the subtle nuances that each brings to their particular character and playing off of it. Joe Pantoliano does a great job as the man who's caught in the middle of these two black widows, refusing to go down without a fight. One big surprise is how great John Ryan is as Mickey, a boss for the Mob. The guy is downright scary in his performance. He never raises his voice or over reacts--just a steady force to be reckoned with. Christopher Meloni as crazy Johnnie Marzzone brings in the laughs with his wicked sense of humor in the most dour of situations like when an accountant for the Mob is being tortured about the money he's stolen. When a finger is cut off and falls to the bathroom floor, Johnnie says, "Oops. You dropped something." Bound is a slick, classy film with top performances by its actors that totally deserves all of the recognition it's received over the years. It's a movie that you can certainly watch over and over. I will say that there isn't much in the way of extras on the DVD, but the film commentary is great. Jennifer Tilly shows up during the last third of the commentary and basically steals the show away from the Wachowski Brothers and Joe Pantoliano. She won't let anyone get in a word edgewise and acknowledges that she sometimes talks too much. Gershon shows up a few minutes later, and they both have fun razing Joe about his semi-nude scenes in the movie and his overall acting. Needless to say, the commentary is loads of fun. Bound is the type of movie that gives me hope for Hollywood. This is what filmmaking is all about, and it goes to show that fantastic movies can be made on a shoestring budget. You don't need two-hundred million dollars to make a classic.
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