Narc (2003)

3 stars out of 4

The Bottom Line:

Though Narc's screenplay is built on a solid foundation of cliches, the powerhouse performances, gritty camerawork, and inspired use of location (Detroit *feels* cold and lonely in the film) allow the film to rise above its tired screenplay. December 18, 2008

Gritty cop thriller in vein of The French Connection

All too often, quality movies are in and out of theaters before audiences have a chance to see them, Narc being a perfect example of that. For 18 months, Detroit narcotics detective Nick Tellis has been on suspension after the end result of a chase went horribly wrong. But now, he's being asked back to help out with the case of another murdered undercover narc detective. Tellis is teamed with a close friend of the murdered cop, Henry Oaks, himself a detective who does what he needs to do to get to a suspect, legal or not. As Tellis and Oaks unravel what really happened, with an answer that Tellis never saw coming, his personal life begins to unravel too with his wife and nine-month old son. From the opening chase with a handheld camera to the final revelation in the end, Narc is very realistic, almost like a documentary that shows some police procedure in a murder case. The story never feels fake and really brings the viewer in, all which makes the ending that much more effective. You may have missed it in theaters, but don't miss it on DVD!

In the two leads of Tellis and Oaks are two actors who aren't huge stars, well-known yes, but that helps make the characters more believable. Jason Patric is Nick Tellis, a detective trying to get a paycheck at first but finds himself fully involved in the murder case who threatens to push away his wife with his drive. Ray Liotta matches Patric as Detective Henry Oaks, a veteran cop who has a reputation as a bit of a hothead but doesn't really care how he gets things done. The teaming of Patric and Liotta works perfectly as their partnership develops, and because the two are in almost every scene together, their performances carry the movie. Rapper Busta Rhymes and Richard Chevolleau lead the supporting cast as Darnell and Steeds, two dealers who know more than they're letting on. The rest of the cast includes Chi McBride, Lina Giornofelice, and John Ortiz.

For such a low price, $9.99, the DVD is a steal. The disc includes the widescreen presentation that really takes advantage of the washed out colors that add to the movie's grittiness. A making of feature is broken up into three smaller segements that add up to about 45 minutes. It's a good feature that shows how tough it was for director Joe Carnahan to get the movie made. Also included is a featurette with William Friedkin, director of The French Connection, talking about similarities between the two movies as well as why he enjoyed Narc so much, and to cap it off, a trailer. All around, a very good DVD presentation for a great cop mystery starring Jason Patric and Ray Liotta, check it out! October 15, 2008

Underrated Crime Drama

It's been a while since I have seen a good new crime drama so I thought I would bring attention to this little known oldie but goodie. OK, it's not really that old, but it does seem to have gone under the radar, which is a shame, because it really is good. Set in dreary Detroit, two Detectives (Liotta and Patric) are investigating the murder of an undercover cop who happens to be Liotta's ex-partner. Both men have their own personal demons to deal with, and as the case wears on, both men's notions of truth and justice will be put to the test. There's nothing overly complex or cliched about the film and it doesn't try too hard to be profound. It's just a good, realistic, urban police drama with a nice denouement, which seems to be rare these days. March 6, 2008

A solid film

I was extremely impressed with this low budget film. The story is tight, the actors are entirely believable and "damaged" and the cinematography is exactly what I would expect from this kind of movie. I also appreciate that the movie wasn't stretched out, it's just over an hour and 40 minutes, which is about perfect. March 5, 2008

Narc

This is one of my favourite films. This again is underated, this for me was an intense film... strong peformances,great story, good music really would recommend it to anyone! January 30, 2008

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