Customer Reviews

Narc (Widescreen)

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I wanted to like this movie but was disappointed after finally sitting down to watch it. It was on my list of movies to watch for the last 7 years. The style of the movie at the beginning was interesting but my interested waned and then I was frustrated watching this film. I've got to say that the performances by Patric and Liotta were good but the script was not up to their talents. If I could describe my dissatisfaction with the film in one word it would be that it was convoluted. The sheer number of coincidences that are supposed to be revelatory are too difficult to accept. I'm always frustrated by leaps in storytelling. Consider me disappointed with the the film and the time I spent watching it.

I was really impressed with Narc. I was expecting a run of the mill good cop bad cop flick. Never judge a DVD by it's cover. I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome. This film was gritty and didn't spare the audience any reality for the sake of easy viewing. This film is filled with tragedy and suspense. Narc will have you hooked from the opening scene. The last 30 minutes of this film is as intense as any other I have seen.

Ray Liotta puts on what I would say is his best performance to date. If Denzel Washington was worthy of an oscar for Training Day so is Liotta for Narc. This film puts Training Day to shame. Jason Patric also puts on a great performance. I know he had to sort of step aside and let Liotta take the spotlight. I think that's actually what makes Jason Patric so great in this film. His ability to compliment Liotta's character while at the same time making his character almost equally appealing to the viewer is astonishing. There aren't too many actors out there nowadays that can do that or are willing to. Jason Patric's un-selfishness pays off big time.

I give Narc a well deserved 5 stars.

Narc is one of the better cop movies in a long time.

Original scripts, good acting.

Narc is the brutal story of two cops both with violent past mistakes and have something to proove.Jason Patric gives the best
performance of his carrer.I'm glad he got this part because he
is terribly underated.His character Nick Tellis is an ex-under
cover narcotics officer you see why he gives that up in the beg-
gining of the movie in a very violent,and horrifying chase scene.
Well he gets a chance to get a desk job but he has to go back on
the street along with the brutal,profane Henry Oak(Ray Liotta)in
also probably his best performance he plays the role to well.I
can't beleive he was looked over at the oscars oh well.Oak and
Tellis are great together as a pair of outsiders so to say trying
to solve the crime of another slain narcotics officer who was
also Oak's partner and a good freind of his.So for Oak this isn't
a case it's a quest to find the killers of his partner and he
doesn't plan on reading them their rights.Tellis begins to suspect Oak and soon finds out secrets Oak doesn't want him to
know and The story slowly unfolds in it's bleak,unforgettable climax.Narc is the best cop movie of all time and it's a good
watch for mystery buffs.Now this movie is hardcore full of brutal
violence,Profanity(constant),drug use,bleakness,and just almost
a loss of hope nothing good really happens to any of the characters as you'll see

With recent documentaries, A Decade Under the Influence and Easy Riders, Raging Bulls, '70s American cinema is enjoying a resurgence and championed by critics as the last great decade of Hollywood filmmaking. Joe Carnahan is the latest filmmaker to draw upon '70s cinema for inspiration with his new film, Narc, an edgy drama about police corruption.

There are several extras included on the DVD that explore various aspects of Narc. First up is an audio commentary by the film's writer and director, Joe Carnahan and the film's editor, John Gilroy. The two men are obviously close friends as evident from the familiarity between them. They joke and talk about all sorts of anecdotal material about the making of the film. Carnahan, in particular, is very entertaining as he gives most of his comments a spin of self-deprecating humour.

"Narc: Making the Deal" covers the origins of the movie. Carnahan talks about how it started off as a short film inspired by Errol Morris' famous documentary, The Thin Blue Line (1988), about the murder of a police officer.

"Narc: Shooting Up" examines the limitations of working on an independent film. The production ran into all sorts of problems, including running out of money. Liotta and his wife spent time drumming up completion funds while the dedicated cast and crew continued to work without being paid.

The look of the film is explored in "Narc: The Visual Trip." Carnahan talks about how certain films were framed and composed.

Finally, "The Friedkin Connection" is a ten-minute love fest by the famous filmmaker who is clearly impressed by Carnahan's movie.

Narc is a gritty, character driven crime drama in the best tradition of '70s American cinema but given a contemporary stylistic update that is reminiscent, at times, of the films of Michael Mann (Thief) and Steven Soderbergh (Traffic). Paramount has done a fine job packaging a pristine print of the movie with a nice collection of extras that are a notch above the usual fluff, promotional pieces that are created for recent films.

Does anyone here remember Speed 2? No? Good. becuase anyone who has seen that film will find if hard to believe that the wooden, stiff and stilted actor (not Sandra Bullock) in the lead role is the same as the one in this small time independent masterpiece. but, and i assure you, it is.

Jason Patric is brilliant as the guilt ridden cop on a last case, bringing depth to the character and making the viewer feel for him when he encounters both the good and the bad through the course of this movie.

So too is Ray Liotta, whose Henry Oak character is one of the most impressive "cop on the edge" characters since they first started doing movies about cops on the edge.

The supporting cast is good too, especially the police chief character, the infected informant, and Busta Rhymes's near-cameo as one of the suspects.

The director also helps things along, shooting it with a gritty, almost noirish colour, and making good use of editing and flashbacks, and he keeps the action from getting over the top, letting the characters fire off far more than the weaponry, with a great soundtrack to boot.

This film was produced by Tom Cruise, and it actually reflects this: it's not very big, but is eminently watchable. independent film at it's best.

If that's your bag, then have at it. The respectable acting is really the only thing of redeeming value here and what saves this movie from a 2-star or lower rating. The cinematography at times tries to look hip and stylish but offers nothing we haven't seen before and seen done better. There's an OK twist to the story's ending, but getting there was where this movie stumbles. Two of the major subplots (the "bad" cop's internal affairs investigation and the conflict between the main character and his wife) basically go nowhere. En route to the climax, you're treated to some of the most over-the-top abuse of police authority you can imagine. Felony assault, felony property damage, illegal search and seizure, and false imprisonment for starters. I can't imagine how two cops could ever expect to deliver a prosecutable case when they obtain their evidence this way, let alone keep themselves out of prison. Those who believe all confessions are beaten out with a phonebook will find this right up their alley. Sorry to burst any bubbles, but that ain't the way it's done out there, folks. But procedural criticisms aside, the story just doesn't have the impact it strives for. Where's Michael Mann when you need him?

If you ever needed a reason not to go to Detroit, I think watching this movie makes me pretty well convinced that I would not want to. (8 Mile was also further evidence). The film is gritty and Detroit is a perfect backdrop for the gritty feel of the movie. Both of the main characters (played by Jason Patric and Ray Liotta) are driven by a sort of obsession. Liotta's obsession and zeal is not well understood until near the end of the film when it becomes clear that much of his "unorthodox" detective work is beyond just unorthodox. Patric is excellent as a cop brought back to active duty after an accidental shooting of a bystander on his previous assignment (for which he was placed on long-term suspension). Patric's character seems detached somehow, slipping further into his police role and further away from his disapproving wife (and their child together). (Patric's former assignment had been to go undercover and infiltrate the city's drug underworld, and apparently he had his own drug problems as a result. His wife stood by him through his rehab and naturally does not wish to see him slip back into this life). The film is not the most structurally sound as far as the plot goes BUT is saved by the superb performances of Liotta and especially Patric.

A very dark movie, but also entertaining. Good actors, and a surprise at the end.

This is not a glamorous movie. There are no fancy soundtracks to heighten your excitement, no ultra-adreneline pumped car chases to boost your blood pressure. However, the violence is realistic and will raise your awareness.

The story is great...former narcotics cop is drawn back into the force (to the destruction of his family)to solve a murder of a undercover narcotics officer. He's partnered ( his own choice) wt/ the victim's former partner, Oak, a hot-headed, rule-bending widower. Two cops wt/ diff agendas and back grounds ( both get personal in the end)to resolve the case of a slain officer. Two points of view.

Not a typical cop flick though, much more thought has been put into this one. It's raw-not for the average thrill seeker. Good movie, would watch it again.