Bound (1996)

Directors:

Andy Wachowski
Larry Wachowski

Writers (WGA):

Andy Wachowski (written by) &
Larry Wachowski (written by)

Release Date:

4 October 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

A trust so deep it cuts both ways.

Plot:

Corky, a tough female ex con and her lover Violet concoct a scheme to steal millions of stashed mob money and pin the blame on Violet's crooked boyfriend Caeser.

Plot Keywords:

Fingering | Criminal | Flashback Sequence | Cruelty | Women

Awards:

6 wins & 10 nominations

Cast

Jennifer Tilly	...	Violet
Gina Gershon	...	Corky
Joe Pantoliano	...	Caesar
John P. Ryan	...	Micky Malnato
Christopher Meloni	...	Johnnie Marzzone
Richard C. Sarafian	...	Gino Marzzone
Mary Mara	...	Sue, Bartender
Susie Bright	...	Jesse
Margaret Smith	...	Woman Cop
Barry Kivel	...	Shelly
Peter Spellos	...	Lou
Ivan Kane	...	Cop #1
Kevin Michael Richardson	...	Cop #2
Gene Borkan	...	Roy

Also Known As:

The Business (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong sexuality, violence and language.

Runtime:

108 min | USA:109 min (unrated version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (DeLuxe)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Brazil:18 | South Korea:18 | Canada:R (Manitoba/Ontario) | Singapore:(Banned) | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) | Philippines:R-18 | Argentina:18 | Australia:R | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Germany:16 (bw) | Hong Kong:III | Italy:VM14 | New Zealand:R18 | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Dino De Laurentiis Company

Trivia:

Cameo: [Susie Bright]The noted sex author appears as the lesbian in the bar that Corky hits on before the lesbian cop arrives. The grey-haired woman in the next booth is Bright's ex.

Goofs:

Factual errors: After Johnnie has been killed he closes his eyes as Caesar pushes his face.

Quotes:

Violet: That's a great tattoo. Beautiful labrys. Are you surprised I know what it is?
Corky: Maybe.
Violet: I have a tattoo. Would you like to see it?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Independents' days (1997)

Soundtrack:

Hopeless Faith

10 out of 10! Perfect!

Bound is a sexy, stylish and suspenseful modern visitation to the film noir genre that emerged in the 1940s and 1950s. Right from the outset - where the letters of the film's name cast deep dark shadows like high-rise buildings - the viewer is inducted into a world where duplicity is the norm and where choices made

result in prices being paid. And with over $2 million of Mob money at stake, the risk to life and limb is very high indeed. Violet is a latter-day gangster's moll looking for a way out of 'the business'. Her chance comes when her boyfriend, Ceasar, brings home a fortune in cash to be

sorted and collated before being passed on to the Chicago Mafia. She seduces

the tough-talking ex-con who is renovating the next-door apartment (an

impressively butch Gina Gershon) and together they scheme to relieve the Mob

of the money. But when Ceasar doesn't react according to plan, suddenly there are dead bodies to deal with and events begin to spiral out of control. The

women's trust in each other is stretched to breaking point as they are drawn into a deadly battle of wits. Directors Larry and Andy Wachowski make judicious use of the conventions of

film noir, such as extensive chiaroscuro, and some imaginative and

uncomfortable extreme close-up shots. The clever cinematography is backed up

by a tension-laden script and an excellent cast (particularly Joe Pantoliano as the increasingly frenzied Ceasar). Although Bound may take some viewers out

of their comfort zone with its graphic lesbian sex scene (which I LOVE!) and

depiction of Mob torture tactics, it is a film that will reward its audience with a stylish and intelligent foray into the eternally murky confluence of good and evil.