Bound (1996) is an electrifying and highly seductive neo-noir thriller starring Gina Gershon and Jennifer Tilly as Corky and Violet, star-crossed lovers who come together under the most unlikely of circumstances. They jointly hatch an illicit plan to steal $2 million in mob money from Violet's boyfriend Caesar (Joe Pantoliano), a shady money launderer for the mafia.
An ex-con working as a repairperson, Corky first encounters Violet and Caesar as the next-door neighbors to the apartment she has been hired to renovate. Instantly attracted to one another, Corky and Violet fall into a passionate affair behind Caesar's back, and devise a plan to steal the cache of embezzled funds that Caesar has reacquired from a wayward associate. Little do they expect the incursion of Mafia boss Gino Marzzone (Richard C. Sarafian) or his mad dog son Johnnie (Christopher Meloni) however—setting the stage for a blistering tale of intrigue and duplicity.
Written and directed by The Wachowskis (The Matrix, Cloud Atlas) in their feature film debut, Bound is a razor-sharp thriller brimming with suspense and steamy eroticism. Gershon and Tilly both deliver handsomely in their respective roles, fully inhabiting their characters' desperation and unbridled yearning for one another. It's quite a showing from the young Wachowskis, whose stylistic touches and playfulness serve as a harbinger for a highly successful career behind the camera. Bold, daring and exceptionally entertaining, it's a genuine milestone in modern queer cinema.
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