Synopsis:
Calgary Cinematheque Presents: Bound (1996)
The erotic thrillers of the 90s mostly depicted their subjects through a heteronormative lens — but Bound didn’t just break the mold, it blew it apart. Join us for a night of pure, pulse pounding queer cinema as we present this trailblazing classic.The Wachowskis deliver a lesbian love story crackling with neo noir danger and erotic heat, a film that slinks between genres and dominates both.
Gena Gershon plays an ex-con hired to fix up a dingy apartment. Next door lives Jennifer Tilly, a mobster’s girlfriend with a voice like velvet and a gaze sharp enough to cut glass. One chance encounter in an elevator sparks instant chemistry. But the erotic tension is only half the thrill. Equally gripping is the crime plot woven through the film. The two lovers hatch a plan to steal $2 million from the mob, and as their scheme unfolds, we’re pulled deeper into their world, as each obstacle tightens the tension like a rope coiling around the audience until the Wachowskis snap it loose with an explosive conclusion.
Bound was the first feature film from the siblings who would go on to create The Matrix. Though it was a mild box office performer, critics adored it; and it has gone on to become a queer cinema cult classic. Drawing inspiration from Billy Wilder and classic noir, the Wachowskis crafted a film years ahead of its time — one that shattered boundaries the moment it hit the screen.
Genre: Crime, Thriller
Director: Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski
Stars: Jennifer Tilly, Gina Gershon, Joe Pantoliano
Running time: 1 hr 49 min
Rating: 18A
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