Both Gina Gershon and Jennifer Tilly are not high-priced, big-name movie stars. But in an era where movies seem to be defined by who is in them, and not what they are about, “Bound” is all the better because of it.
Gershon, best known for her performance in “Showgirls,” and Tilly, best known for hers in “Bullets Over Broadway” are spectacular in this film. Without bringing a weighty persona on screen with them, their well developed characters take precedent and provide an excellent backdrop for an incredible story.
The only fault of “Bound” is that is really two different movies tied into one.
The first is the one that has been making entertainment news for the last three months: the romance between Violet (Tilly) and Corky (Gershon). The movie narrowly skirted a NC-17 rating, and even the edited version will raise plenty of eyebrows.
The second is by far the better and the more memorable of the two. It all starts with a crime gone terribly wrong, which results in a crime gone terribly wrong, which results in a crime that the victim deserves.
The story seems as if it comes from the pages of an Elmore Leonard novel, only better. The suspense never stops and, as the saying goes, the camera never blinks.
Violet’s husband, Caesar (Joe Pantalioni), is a big figure in the Chicago Mafia. Violet wants out, and wants Corky to help her steal two million dollars that Caesar has in his apartment. As the movie is quick to point out, stealing two million dollars from the mob is easier said than done.
Corky sets up the perfect plan - Violet will have an alibi, someone else will be blamed for the heist, and the two will be able to quickly and quietly get away. But, in the movies, all plans start out that way.
And in the movies, no schemes work out that way. This one gets extremely violent extremely quickly, and keeps the suspense level high for an unbelievable amount of time.
While it isn’t for the feint of heart (fingers are cut off in this film), “Bound” ranks among the best suspense films of all time.
The style of film is surprisingly like Hitchcock’s masterpieces - not only its feverish suspense, but enough character development to keep the plot interesting instead of just bloody. However, character development by way of a lesbian romance is probably something Hitchcock could’ve never gotten away with.
The unique characterization is one of the many things that sets “Bound” apart from the pack. While dramas of epic proportions seem to weekly invade theaters, don’t miss this opportunity to take a break from it all and watch a classic crime gone wrong.
Grade: A+