Director Werner Hertzog has teamed up with his trusted cinematographer Peter Zeitlinger on his latest work Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans a title which Hertzog disagreed with from the start. In a odd coincidence the studio marketed the movie as a remake of the 1992 film 'Bad Lieutenant', staring Harvey Keitel and Directed by Abel Ferrara. However when Hertzog was questioned about his knowledge of the original Ferrara film he stated "I've never seen a film by him. I have no idea who he is". Nicholas Cage stars in the film which marks his first collaboration with Hertzog and a major departure (or perhaps return) for him. Cage has wandered a long way from his roots, now owning a major production company (Saturn Films) which produces big budget features he also stars in such as National Treasure and Knowing. However those of us who remember an energetic, eccentric and highly engaging Cage from the days of Moonstruck will be in for a treat...he's back. Not only is Cage back, he's back in top form, playing a drug addicted cop who's deranged behavior (sexually assaulting an 18 year old girl during a crack bust, attempting to murder an old women via an oxygen tube...etc) results in a series of promotions up the law enforcement pyramid.

Fans of Hertzog will get the most from this film, for to follow his career is a long, unpredictable journey into the mind of a unique artist. This film is no exception of course, he treads into new terrain and handles it with a wonderful mix of subtle Hertzogian touches while staying true to the goals of the script. The script takes us on a journey through a single investigation along the lines of a typical TV crime drama (in terms of scope). Thankfully, instead of filling out the 2 hours with mindless action scenes and predictable cop banter, it very carefully follows the study of one character's decent into the "darkside"...Hertzog embraces this concept and runs with it as does Cage, which results in one of the most watchable cop movies of the decade. If you love Cage or Hertzog then this is a must see, if you love both of them then you've already seen it. Unfortunately Hertzog's not a mainstream director (on his own accord) so this film has had a very limited release, don't miss the rental - The Wire is the only comparable crime drama produced this decade.

3 STARS