Bound, or: Let’s hear it for the girls

Tough ex-con Corky and her lover Violet concoct a scheme to steal millions of stashed mob money and pin the blame on Violet’s crooked boyfriend Caesar.

Film: Bound (1996)
Director: Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski
Cast: Jennifer Tilly, Gina Gershon, Joe Pantoliano

*Spoilers*

We revisit a nineties crime classic this week and not only does it perfectly fit September’s M.O. – it also works to celebrate the freshly dropped Matrix 4 trailer – which is very exciting indeed. The Wachowskis are a huge part of why I love film so much, and it was really good to spend time with this film again – in my opinion is stands up pretty well.

Corky is fresh out of prison after five years doing time for the ‘redistribution of wealth’. Life’s just one big party for her, if being stuck renovating a run down apartment alone is your idea of fun. But there she is in her best white vest, minding her own business when into her life saunters Violet, who lives next door. Unfortunately, Vi’s accompanied by her dodgy boyfriend Caesar, a mid-level Mafia man.

After an extremely charged meeting in the building elevator, Vi and Corky quickly get to know one another and it’s a beautiful thing. I mean, except for Caesar, who clocks Corky’s past right away – and the fact she doesn’t quite trust Vi yet. But when one of Caesar’s associates is caught stealing money from The Business, and is subsequently punished for his indiscretions, Violet comes to Corky with a delicious proposal: take the skimmed cash – totaling just over 2 mill – and run.

Can the lovers take the ultimate leap and trust each other to pull off the heist of a lifetime? Well, best laid plans and all that jazz.

Thoughts

My best friend used to watch this film over and over for that one particular sex scene – and while it’s a hot film with smoking hot leads, I kind of like that it gets the seduction out of the way quickly so we can focus on the business at hand. Not that I’m opposed to enjoying the female form but I’m in it for the thrill of our protagonists outsmarting slimy Caesar and getting their fresh starts in life.

At its heart this is a love story about hope and surrendering to somebody else – and what’s not to love about that? While both Corky and Violet are exaggerated characters – breathy gangster’s moll/tool-belt wielding lesbian – I enjoy their chemistry and I want them to get away with everything. Whether or not they do is for you find out.

I think it would be remiss not to mention Wachowskis regular Joe Pantoliano. He’s really convincing as Caesar and brings a level of humour to an otherwise quite Noirish and tense affair. I think you can see very obvious Wachowski flourishes in this pre-Matrix banger – the framing, camera angles, etc. – and it was a real pleasure to revisit.

Where’s our sequel?

MY RATING: 3.5/5

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What does my partner in crime think of this one? Would she trust it with her life or give it ten sliced digits? Find out here.