The ever stealthy and versatile actor Joe Pantoliano is at his very best in the Wachowski Brothers picture Bound.  The plot elements fall exquisitely into place like dominoes toppling over each other.  Reviewing The Matrix, my hero -- Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times -- said that the plot of that blockbuster is nowhere near as airtight as Andy and Larry Wachowski's first film.  The scene where Violet (Jennifer Tilly) makes a phone call in an elevator to a Mafioso to save her life works as dark humor and as pure, searing suspense.

     The most effective plot element is the wire clippers, the MacGuffin, that appear to Corky (Gina Gershon) when she is tied up and knocked out in the closet.  Caesar (Joe Pantoliano) tries some last minute persuasion to the voluptuous, tattooed "lesbian" Violet, who happens to be brandishing a gun at the time.  She shoots him no less than six times and red blood falls over white paint.

Tags: Film Review

Bookmark: