Bound (1996)

Okay, to get to the plot. Basically, Jennifer Tilly's character(Violet) sees and then meets Gina Gershon's character(Corky), they develop a relationship, fall in love, and then decide to steal over two million dollars from the mob and blame it on Violet's boyfriend. That's only the nut shell though, the actual story takes many twists and turns over this material as things start spinning wildly out of control, and things don't always go the way that the girls had planned.

A lot of the story depends on split timing from the girls, and the belief that they could trust one another enough to pull this off after knowing each other for such a short time, and the fact that they could have fallen in love with one another. Their relationship does seem to develop fairly fast, but from the first time the two of them really talked to one another over a cup of coffee, to the scene where Violet entices Corky over by asking her to get an earring she dropped down the drain out for her, I was sold. Just listening to Violet breathlessly asking Corky to kiss her as they sat on the couch after the earring episode was an experience in itself.

After that, when the money enters the picture, their relationship is primarily put on the back burner as everything now hinges around the money. The money is stolen, rather cleverly, but from there things start going downhill for the two of them. Ceasar, Pantoliano's character, doesn't react the way Corky thought he would, and soon the bodies begin to pile up, and after a little trick with a redial button, the girls find themselves in real danger, where they really need their trust in one another to save their lives.

The pace of the movie always remains brisk, and I found myself constantly sitting on the edge of my seat as I watching it, all the way through until the end. I don't want to spoil the ending for anyone, so don't read the end of this if you haven't already seen the movie. I like the movies where the bad guy gets his, and although almost everyone in this movie was a bad guy in one way or another, even the two female leads, I still enjoyed seeing Violet blow Ceasar away, and the two girls riding off into the metaphoric sunset with the two million dollars. A most enjoyable way to spend two hours of your time, at least in my book. Hope you think so too.


Fabulous directorial debut from the Matrix boys   September 29, 2002
Erin K. Darling (olympia, wa)
12 out of 12 found this review helpful

"Bound" surprises the viewer from start to finish with plot twist upon turn - it's a great movie. It'll grab your attention right from the start with two passionate scenes between Jennifer Tilly & Gina Gershon, and then things really get rolling.

Joey Pants (as folks seem to call him in the biz) plays a middle-managment gangster who borders on the pathetic; his attitude is definitely much bigger than he is. After a collection operation gone a bit awry, Violet (Tilly) and Corky (Gershon) hatch a plan to make off with more than two million dollars of the mafia's money. The plan is simple enough, but naturally is doesn't go off exactly as planned; blood is shed, there's a lot of running around and screaming, cover-up is laid upon cover-up, and some pruning shears come into play more than once.

This is great film noir, and everyone is cast perfectly. The brothers do an excellent job of direction, with novel angles and shooting methods (you wouldn't expect anything less from these guys, would you?) They also employ some classic film noir sequences that work perfectly. It should hold your attention throughout, very enjoyably.


BOUND to Please   January 21, 2000
J. Michael Click (Fort Worth, Texas United States)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful

A thoroughly absorbing caper from the first scene to the last. If you like sitting on the edge of your seat, wondering what in the world is going to happen next, then you'll love being plopped down into the intricate maze of this film. The story twists and turns unpredictably, and the billiantly quirky cinematography and seamless editing add to the fun. Great star-turns by Jennifer Tilly, Joe Pantoliano, and especially Gina Gershon who never hits a false note. There's also an edgy, over-the-top performance by Christopher Meloni as a gleefully sadistic mobster; Meloni makes his scenes crackle with barely contained malice, and proves once again that he's a highly capable actor with a commanding on-screen presence.

The DVD presentation of this underrated gem is quite good. "Bound" is much more enjoyable when viewed in widescreen, and the sharp transfer offered on the disc is a vast improvement over the VHS version. The theatrical trailer and audio commentaries are enjoyable extras. A "making of" featurette would have been a nice bonus - but even without it, this is a great DVD that current and future fans of the movie will be proud to own.


Very good movie!!   October 7, 2003
Mitch Weaver (Houston, TX)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful

Bound revolves around three key characters. The first is a gangster named Caesar ( Joe Pantoliano). The second is his mistress Violet (Jennifer Tilly). The third is a woman named Corky ( Gina Gershon) who was just released from prison and also moved into the same building as Caesar and Violet. Although Violet is involved with Caesar, she can't help developing a strong infatuation with Corky. The story takes an interesting turn when Corky and Violet become lovers. The two lovers then slowly develop a plan to steal 2 million dollars from the mob, and frame Caesar in the process.

"Bound" is a great film. The overall suspense is nail-biting. Another thing I like about this movie, is the fact that it is laid out extremely well, and leaves no loose ends at all. You don't end up feeling confused, or wondering why the film happened the way that it did. Gina Gershon and Jennifer Tilly have great chemistry in this film and provide passionate love scenes and a partnership that is extremely solid. It really is fun to watch the two women work together in and out of the bedroom. Joe Pantoliano however gives the film's best performance. He plays the role of an angry mobster perfectly, as well as the confused mark who never knew what hit him. Watching him lose control is great.

The DVD itself is excellent. Not only is it affordable, but it also includes the unrated version of the film and commentary from the directors, as well as Jennifer Tilly, Gina Gershon, and Joe Pantoliano. I highly recommend this movie!!


One of my favorite films of the '90s   January 3, 2005
Erica Anderson (Minneapolis, MN)
8 out of 10 found this review helpful

Before the (godawful) Matrix series, the Wachowski brothers gave filmgoers the erotic "Bound" starring Gina Gershon and Jennifer Tilly. I am by far no fan of Jennifer Tilly, her voice irritates me to no ends of the earth. Plus most of her films that I have seen her in have been pretty bad but surprisingly enough I liked her in "Bound". "Bound" is one of my favorite films from the '90s.

Gina Gershon stars as Corky, a convicted felon who had just gotten out of prison. She lands a job that involved fixing up an apartment in a seedy apartment building. There she meets Violet (Jennifer Tilly), the girlfriend to the psychotic, abusive Caesar (Joe Pantoliano). The two women literally hook up together within minutes of the movie. Normally that would happen in the middle of a film but the Wachowski brothers decided to avoid the cliche and put the love scene in the first 15-20 minutes of the film. I read that erotica expert Susie Bright was hired as a consultant in the film for the love scenes between the two actresses. I thought the love scenes were pretty convincing, a lot more than in most mainstream films that involves lesbian love scenes. After hooking up with Corky and listening to Caesar and his mob buddies punish another mobster, Violet realizes that she wants to get out of this life once and for all. She recruits Corky's help to help steal $2 million from the mob (which is in Caesar and Violet's apartment) and skip town with it.

I am not really into gangster films but "Bound" is by no means your traditional gangster film. I found the writing engaging and the performances by the Gina Gershon, Jennifer Tilly, and Joe Pantoliano entertaining. For people who might be faint at heart, there is a lot of bloodshed in the film but no more than in most films nowadays. Still the scene with Caesar and his mob buddies torturing another mobster made me cringe, no matter how many times I have seen the film. I thought the dialogue was hilarious although it bordered on hokeyness like when Violet says to Corky that she was glad that she [Corky] told her about her time in prison. Another cheesy moment was when Violet was talking to Corky over the phone and both women placed their hands on the wall in the exact spot where each other's hands were in each different room. "Law & Order: Special Victim Unit" star Christopher Meloni (with a lot more hair) makes a cameo appearance as the stupid, psychotic mobster Johnny. I loved it when Johnny would find a way to irritate Caesar.

I wish movies today were as engaging and fast-paced "Bound" was. What I really liked about "Bound" is that the film didn't drag on for an eternity. It was fast paced. I thought the way the film was edited gave the film viewer a glimpse to what was to expect from the Wachowksi brothers. There were moments when I felt that the film had that same feel in cinematography that the first "Matrix" film had. Great movie. Certainly one of my favorite movies from the past decade.