Nic Cage is back, and by that I mean he’s really back, by giving us another mesmerizing performance as New Orleans detective Terence McDonagh, who was recently promoted to lieutenant because he went above and beyond the call of duty by rescuing a prisoner who was still trapped in a jail cell shortly after Hurricane Katrina. The jail cell was flooded, and the water was steadily rising, threatening to drown the prisoner if he wasn’t rescued. McDonagh dives into the water to save him, yet it wasn’t as deep as he had thought, and as a result he throws out his back. Flash forwarding to six months later, McDonagh is allowed to return to the force, yet his back problems are so painful that he’s become addicted to painkillers…and cocaine.
Thanks to McDonagh’s constant search for relief for his pain, he’s out shaking
down anybody he comes across. The confiscated drugs in the evidence room are now
off limits to him, thanks to security cameras being installed, and as if being a
junkie cop isn’t bad enough, McDonagh’s also a degenerate gambler who’s so far
into debt, he’s in trouble with the mob. On top of all of this, he’s handed
the investigation of the slaughter of an entire family by drug dealers. So now a
gambling junkie cop who uses his position to shake down criminals for their
drugs is in charge of a major case. And yet all McDonagh can think of is when
can he get his next hit. Cage plays McDonagh as being so hopped up on drugs most of the time that you
wonder how he even manages to get out of bed, much less keep it together enough
to do his job.
But it’s just this very bizarre behavior that is what’s so
fascinating to watch. In order to stay afloat, McDonagh keeps sinking deeper and
deeper in an immoral morass, committing even worse crimes that he rationalizes
away, and compounding his problems by arrogantly picking a fight with everyone
he meets. Cage is simply fantastic in this role, and he’s part of a great cast that
consists of Eva Mendes, Val Kilmer, Fairuza Balk (who's grown up into a great actress since
Return to Oz) and Brad Dourif. They populate a film that is deftly directed by Werner Herzog,
who gave us Fitzcarraldo and Rescue Dawn. Herzog makes great use of the
New Orleans locations, creating just the right, off-kilter atmosphere needed for
Cage to work his magic. If you’re looking for
something a little different than the usual TV cop show, then give this a ride.
--SF
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