Bad Lieutenant

While I found this film entirely irresistible, I have to say that I found it's strength more on the superficial level, rather than the metaphorical. I was completely uninterested in the obvious story of "the redemption of a damned soul", but I found the journey mesmerizing. Keitel is dead on here and I found myself wondering how deeply immersed in the character he actually was during the drug use scenes.(A la Estevez's drunken tirade in "Apocalypse Now") The use of real locations with no extras and the quasi-impromptu dialogue are probably the two biggest assets here(reminiscent of "Trash" but with better production value). All in all, it's quite a trip through a life of depravity and desperation that gives a great vicarious thrill to the viewer. Don't miss this film.