Bound [1996]

On first glance Bound might appear to be a typically cheap, sleazy, low-budget film with lots of sex and violence, and with a plot that could have easily been a straight lift off a James Hadley Chase pulp paperback novella – a classic B-movie if you will. But surprisingly, this also happens to be the debut feature of the Wachowski brothers, whose later (and far more recognized) movies like Matrix and V for Vendetta bear little, if any, resemblance to this tense, moody and low-key crime thriller. A characteristically volatile turn by Joe Pontoliano, smoking hot onscreen chemistry between the two female leads (yeah, you read that right), and a gripping albeit familiar plot concerning lust, betrayal and murder, coupled with smart direction, have made this a neo-noir to look out for. The movie drips with style and is deliciously naughty. In fact, it might make you want to watch Blood Simple once again, the terrific debut feature of another great sibling team – the Coen brothers. By the way, if anyone asks me to recommend a few ‘guilty pleasure’ movies, this one might well make the cut.









Directors: Andy and Larry Wachowski, aka the Wachowski Brothers
Genre: Thriller/Crime Thriller/Neo-Noir/Gangster
Language: English
Country: US