Pacionsbo
Absolutely Fantastic
Janae Milner
Easily the biggest piece of Right wing non sense propaganda I ever saw.
Aneesa Wardle
The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.
umertanweer
Why are some good cop films overtly successful and talked about, whereas some good cop films are forgotten too early? Narc has garnered critical acclaim. It also managed to approximately double it's meager 6.5 million budget. So it is a success, and a pretty decent one. However, I think it should have gained a lot more recognition. Moreover, it should be remembered overtime, just as films like se7en(1995) and Serpico(1973) have. It is a very thorough film, it should be ranked among one of the top in the cop film genre. Ray Liotta and Jason Patrick team up as cops who look to investigate the murder of a fellow undercover cop working in the narcotics department. Hence, as they set on course to investigate, the gritty reality of the drugs arena and the internal corruption in the police department come to surface. Narc is an ideal cop film. It has everything. Fast pace, powerful performances, twists, mystery, edge of seat stuff. From the first frame, the pace of the film is set up. The first scene is the gloomy but edgy chase sequence as Jason Patrick runs breathlessly after a junkie. It is dark and intense. Also, the characters come with their own weaknesses. They are not the typical 'macho' cops. They are struggling with their internal demons throughout their journey into the underbelly. Not only that, they don't get along very well with each other. All of the subplots and backstories of the two protagonists have been connected to the focal plot of the film. All the loose ends have been tied up, hence no loopholes in a somewhat layered plot. All these traits make this an entertaining film. But what makes this film compete with classics is the fact that it is not only entertaining, but it also exposes the grit and dirt. The corruption in the police department and the frailty of those working in the narcotics department is portrayed heavily in the film. So no matter how hard one tries, there is nothing lacking or weak in the film that can be pointed out. It stays true to the genre, it doesn't even try to be anything else, just an outstanding cop film. Ray Liotta and Jason Patrick deliver strong performances. Snappy and dark cinematography match the genre's requirements. It also gives it a "noir" feel. Joe Carnahan's direction is spot on. Much like Ben Affleck's Gone Baby Gone(2007), the ending leaves the main character with a tricky choice. Here, Jason Patrick has a choice to hand in the confession tape or not. Both choices will disadvantage someone unfairly, if he hands in the tape, two junkies will be accused of a murder they did not commit, otherwise Calvess's(the cop whose murder investigation was taking place) widow will stop receiving his pension. It's a question of morals, which the film doesn't spoon- feed or preach explicitly. Hence, the ending is left open ended. Overall, the statement that Narc is a good film is an understatement. It is more than good. It is widely established as just a good 2002 cop film, but it should be remembered as more than that.
SnoopyStyle
Detroit undercover cop Nick Tellis (Jason Patric) accidentally shoots a pregnant woman who subsequently loses her child during a violent takedown. He is dismissed but he's reinstated 18 months later to investigate the murder of rookie cop Michael Calvess. His wife wants him to do something else. Despite Captain Cheevers (Chi McBride)'s misgivings, Tellis gets Calvess' unstable partner Henry Oak (Ray Liotta) reinstated on the case.This is a hard-boiled gritty cop drama. Both Patric and Liotta have that hard worn-down edge. It has the violent brutal sense of a dirty underground. It's a throwback to a 70s sensibility of a murky police investigation.
Marko Zlatev
I think the most important things have been already said regarding this movie and especially it's actors.It should be added, that one thing which very much differs from other films is the huge amount of realism. Regarding cops and police aggression, there are rarely films made in the US who truly show the true character of our everyday best friend. Other than that of course, the acting is immense, but even one thing betters it in my opinion: the soundtrack. Cliff Martinez to name the artist, is responsible for it, absolutely breath taking music! I can recommend anyone to listen to the soundtrack on Youtube or even better buy Cliff Martinez' works. It's worth the money!
Adam Simon
As other reviews have pointed out, in a sea of American cop dramas that end up on screen, Narc stands out in the overcrowded pack as one of the most under rated police films of all time. I rate the film so highly because of a superb script written by Joe Carnahan, Carnahan's unique direction, incredible cinematography by Alex Nepomniaschy, naturalistic and seemingly improvisational acting, especially by the films stars Jason Patrick and Ray Liotta, groundbreaking editing by Joh Gilroy and a relentless dedication to the project by Joe Carnahan and those involved with the project to bring it to life .The script, written by Director Joe Carnahan, has dialogue that is natural, gritty, and shows a detailed intricate knowledge of the lives of undercover Detroit police officers and the toll those lives take on the officers themselves, their families and the communities they work in. An interesting point about the film is the Directors choice, along with the actors, to stray from what Carnahan had penned and allow for the actors to improvise several sequences in the film. Without detailing every scene of the film, I will pick those that stand out to me and review the aspects of the film that I listed above.The opening scene of the film shows Jason Patrick, Detective Nick Tellis, in a park looking out at the city of Detroit. After seeing the film (God only knows how many times) Patricks "thousand yard stare" makes me wonder if this scene is actually Tellis thinking about turning over or not turning over the tape of Ray Liottas character, Detective Henry Oak's confession at the end of the film. This scene is followed by one of the most realistic, shocking and violent introductions to a film. Just in the same way Nicolas Winding Refn places you directly into the violent, ancient and primal world of Valhalla Rising, Carnahan thrusts you into the one of the worst days of an undercover officers life and makes you an active participant in that day. It is emotional, shocking, thrilling and heart wrenching as the chase involves two casualties, a male civilian who is injected with a lethal dose of of drugs, and a pregnant woman who is struck by a stray bullet fired from Tellis's gun. Tellis kills the suspect who was holding the pregnant woman's little daughter hostage but the woman loses her unborn child as a result of her injury. Hands down, this opening chase sequence is one of the memorable scenes put to film and one of the best openings to a film...ever. (Just my opinion. Feel free to disagree...even though you would be wrong.) :)This film stands alone from other films of the same genre, (Training Day, End of Watch) largely from Carnahan's unique vision and Alex Nepomniaschy incredibly raw cinematography. The two combined places you visually in the front seat. You are a partner to Tellis, a member of his family, a part of the investigation and a participant in his decisions that ultimately lead to the death of his partner at Tellis's hand. Which leads me to the other scene which is Tellis and Oak's final confrontation at the end of the movie. From the interrogation of a suspect, played surprisingly truthful and real by Busta Rhymes, to Tellis making the decision to shoot Oaks to save the suspects, the last 10 minutes of the film leaves you the same way it opened, heart pumping, out of breath and questioning your own beliefs about right and wrong.Jason Patrick and Ray Liotta deliver performances that are Oscar worthy. Tellis is the tortured undercover cop who is too close to his work. With little to no dialogue we see exactly how much he cares for his wife and child, and how fragile his family unit is. He is a man desperately trying to hold on to the life he wants to have, while struggling to survive the life he actually has.Ray Liotta's performance is exquisite. He shoulders the heavy burden of the secrets he keeps to protect the ones he loves. He carries the weight of the world on his shoulders and relieves that pressure by exercising brutal police judgment on the criminals of the city. Both actors are vulnerable and haunting in their own unique way. This film is incredible and should be included as a regular study for film makers. With a record number of producers, Narc found a way to fight through budget problems, lack of funds and resources, production concerns and other issues to be brought to life and stand as one of the greatest films in its genre.
