User reviews

This film reminded me of those cop films from the late 60's and 70's like "The Seven Ups" and "The French Connection" but this film is really dark and dirty. One thing that stands out is the cinematography that I'll describe later. Film opens with a cop chasing a suspect into a park and when shots are fired at one another a pregnant woman gets hit. Month's later the force wants him back to work with an older cop and investigate a cop killing. Jason Patric and Ray Liotta star in this film and its directed by Joe Carnahan who employs a very good visual style to an already familiar story. The film has a dark and gritty look about it that suggests a touch of "Film Noir". One scene in particular stands out and its the one where Patric and Liotta are in a cafe having coffee and talking. The scene is dimly lit with both characters seemingly in shadows. It suggests that both are shadowy figures and have something to hide. Carnahan creates a dark mood for the film that I found very effective. Nothing seems forced here and it creates an indelible aura of bleakness. These are the streets that these cops work in everyday and you can understand some of the personality flaws of the characters. Ray Liotta stands out here and its the type of performance that reminds us why Scorsese cast him in "Goodfellas" in the first place. He gained 25 pounds for the role and along with Tom Cruise and a host of others helped produce this film. All the hard work paid off and I hope studios remember him with more work. He's always been a terrific actor and its hard to forget those eyes of his when he sinks his teeth into a role like this. They're was some talk of him being nominated for an Academy award in the supporting category which would be wrong. Both he and Patric are in the film about the same amount of time. They are both starring roles and its not a supporting performance. Some people complained of the dark edge and mood of the film but thats exactly what I liked about it. Well photographed and very well acted, this is a solid cop film that people should check out.

Seeing that Ray Liotta is one of my favourite actors, I was pretty sure this movie was going to be very good. And it is a good movie. It is dark, well acted and it tells a story of how far some people are willing to go to honour the memory of a friend and colleague. One cop, Nick Tellis, suspended after a stray bullet hits a pregnant woman, is put on a murder investigation of an undercover cop. He teams up with bad ass cop Henry Oak and together they try to solve it. But if everything as it seems? Both lead actors in this movie, Jason Patrick and Ray Liotta, do a great job. You really get the feeling like you are in the movie instead of just watching it. Most of all, the characters are believable and that is so important for a movie like this. If you like thrillers with a dash of action and drama, you will enjoy this movie. I know I did. I rate this movie 7/10

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.

Over a year after he was suspended during an investigation into a shooting when he was undercover, Nick Tellis is given an opportunity to redeem himself by joining an investigation into the murder of another undercover cop who's partner is a suspect. Nick and Henry Oak team up, investigating each other as much as the actual murder. They follow a lead from a junkie but begin to uncover clues that point to police weapons getting onto the black market and the suggestion that someone within the Detroit force is in bed with the junkies.

A small film with big budget problems gets picked up at Sundance and has Tom Cruise's name added to it as executive producer. Thank goodness that this film got bought up and received a bigger audience. It is a shame that more people didn't go and see it but it still isn't bad for a film that was almost shutdown mid-shoot due to budget problems (ie, they didn't have any!). The plot is a good cop thriller in the mould of the old 70's thrillers where the lines between good/bad, right/wrong are pretty blurred. The focus of the film is the mcguffin of the tunnel - what happened, who did what? but the film is much more than that, it has themes of family and scenes of violence and tension that move everything forward. It is easily one of the best films released in 2003. It manages to take a genre that is seen so often and make it feel fresh and enjoyable.

As both writer and director Carnahan is brilliant. His script is well written and has plenty of tough dialogue but it is the feel and look of the film that is brilliant. On top of the toning used to taint each scene (the job is mostly washed out blues, family scenes are reds but gradually lose their taint over the film) the film uses other tricks. The framing of shots are different for each character and it really adds to the film. If you like this film it is worth hunting out the DVD just for the extras, Carnahan talks in detail about the reasons behind the composition of some shots and it is impressive to hear and understand his thought process.

The cast are excellent, although really the film hinges on the two leads. Liotta is as good as he has ever been. It would be easy to just accept his performance as a `powerhouse' but it also has sensitivity, emotion and layers to it. Patric is also good, his themes with family and past are brought up well in a performance that accepts that he is very much secondary to Liotta. Support from Busta Rhymes is minor but he plays it very well, not at all like many hip hop stars who do movies to enhance their bling-bling gangsta personae. There are other solid support roles too, but it really is Liotta and Patric's film.

As a cop thriller this harks back to darker days and it is very effective, with a solid plot and a good sense of the unknown until some solid twists near the end. The film has an impressive style to it and, while Liotta deserves the praise, the success and feel of this film are down to the skills of Carnahan as both writer and director. With his talented and underpaid crew he has turned a good script into a great film.

Great acting in this film about a washed up detective with a wife who never seemed to stop nagging him about almost anything. The wife complained about how dangerous his job was as a cop and just about everything he seemed to do for her and his constant crying child. This unfortunate cop is asked to do some desk work and research on a cold case and he gets deeply involved with all kinds of problems, beaten up almost into a pulp. As the story unfolds, you can guess immediately just who the bad guy is and the plot is really an old story. However, I must say all the actors did a fantastic job. Rather long and drawn out and not really the greatest of films.

The good-cop-bad-cop pairing in movies is so well-worn, that it has practically become a Hollywood institution. Thankfully 'Narc' powerfully smashes the stereotype.

Persuaded back into active service by his bosses, ex narcotics cop Nick Tellis (Jason Patric) finds himself investigating the murder of a fellow officer alongside live-wire new partner Henry Oak (Ray Liotta).

The coupling of Tellis and Oak feels so realistic, you actually understand each character's resentment at being pitched together.

It's this natural mistrust which erases the legacy of Lethal Weapon style buddy relationships, and instead harks back to classic '70s cop movies such as 'Serpico'.

'Narc' bristles with energy, from its heart-stopping hand-held opening chase to its brutal, bloody showdown, all the while framed by cold claustrophobic street scenes.

Director Joe Carnahan probes deep into the characters to discover what drives these men to lay their lives on the line, day in, day out.

It helps that the performance of both leading men is superb. Patric's troubled, introspective Tellis is torn between his loving family and his empathy for the dead undercover cop.

However, it's Liotta - Oak by name, oak by stature - who dominates the film with a career-best performance. Intimidating and brutal but never inhuman, he forces you to remember just how powerful a cinematic presence he can be, given the right material.

'Narc' is a fast-paced, original, gritty thriller that will leave you wanting another fix. 9/10

I'm not going to say that the acting in this movie is bad because it's not. In fact, both Jason Patrick and Ray Liotta give stellar emotionally charged performances. However, when I was done watching this, I found myself in a kind of depressed slump. I guess that's what they were shooting for so maybe it succeeds in a way. For me though, if you spend a couple hours of your life watching a movie, you should get at least a little enjoyment out of it, which I didn't. If you enjoy being depressed, watch this movie. 5/10

Narc is an overlooked gem, a superb cop movie that delivers excellent characters at the expense of needless action.

Jason Patric is an actor I never really rated but he blew me away in this he looks haggard and haunted, you can understand his character completely just from one look in his eyes. Despite Patric's efforts he is surpassed by a career best turn from Ray Liotta, who is menacing and cool at the same time.

Kudos for Joe Carnahan for balancing style with substance perfectly, and the opening to the film is one of the best i've ever seen. This film exudes purity and class, and Carnahan directs with no pressure. I look forward to his next film.

I don't wish to reveal anything on this film because it's best that you just see it cold but fans of Copland or Dark Blue should love this. 9/10

Rating: 8 out of 10. Written and Directed by Joe Carnahan.

Narc is one of the best movies that I have seen in recent months, I rented it several weeks ago from the video store and caught most of it again just last week on a movie channel. This is a story of bad cop and bad cop working together, which is a relief to me since the good cop plus bad cop pairing is too over done. Joe Carnahan shows that he is an extremely talented writer and director.

I have found myself thinking back to this movie several times since seeing it. It has a unique quality and excellent style to it. It also does not hurt to have good writing and directing that was complimented with the great acting of Jason Patric and Ray Liotta.

Jason Patric is Nick Tellis, an undercover narcotics officer. The movie opens with Tellis chasing a drug dealer through backyards and into a park until the chase ends with a shooting, the suspect gets hit, but so does a pregnant woman that was a bystander. The next scene takes place over a year later, and Tellis is in a boardroom meeting with a police board of inquiry. We find out that the pregnant woman that got shot lost her unborn child and that Tellis has been on an administrative leave all this time for over a year. The board offers him a deal, which is to solve the murder of a slain undercover narcotics officer named Michael Calvess. If he solves this murder, he will be fully reinstated with a choice assignment. Tellis storms out of the meeting declining the offer. A police captain played by Chi McBride follows Tellis out the room and is able to convince Tellis to reconsider.

As Tellis starts to investigate the murder, he requests the help of Calvess' former partner Henry Oak played by Ray Liotta. Initially the police captain says that Oak is off limits to the Calvess case and mentions that Oak is unstable. Oak isn't just unstable, he is a brutal cop, and we see a few flashback scenes of Oak viciously beating up suspects. Police Internal Affairs is always on the look out to find Oak guilty of brutality or planting evidence or any of the violations of conduct that Oak is suspected of doing. What allows Oak to continue to roam around like a vigilante is his impressive work record, the majority of Oak's arrests end up with a conviction. Therefore, Tellis is able to get Oak back onto the case.

As we see Tellis and Oak investigate, we see some very unusual characters and a couple of twists to the storyline. Of course Oak is quite brutal and Tellis is okay with using police brutality at times but is sometimes surprised at Oak's actions and methods. The movie ends with some shocking revelations.

Narc was nominated for a Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival in 2002. Which is not a surprise since this was a very good film.

I've read several mentions of William Friedkin with regard to "Narc" and I concur, his fingerprints are all over this movie. I kept thinking of "French Connection" and "To Live and Die in L. A." all throughout the running time.

"Narc" isn't gritty, it is downright bleak. Even if they hadn't shot this in snowy Detroit, it'd still feel cold as hell. As a police procedural, it's pretty standard (the thin line between cop and criminal, etc.) and you settle in thinking you seen this all before . . . And then here comes the twisty third act, redefining the whole story, and you're just left there at the end, trying to get your bearings. There's no gloss here, and while it's not a movie I can watch everyday, my eyes were glued to the very end.

Narc is written and directed by Joe Carnahan. It stars Ray Liotta, Jason Patric, Chi McBride, Busta Rhymes and Richard Chevolleau. Music is scored by Cliff Martinez and cinematography by Alex Nepomniaschy.

After being suspended from the Detroit police force following an undercover drug bust gone horribly wrong, undercover narcotics officer Nick Tellis (Patric) is coerced back into active duty to see if he can help crack the case of a mysteriously slain fellow officer. Paired with the victim's volatile ex-partner, Henry Oak (Liotta), Tellis tries to hold it together as the case grows ever more complex the deeper he gets.

Don't tune into this one if you want cartoon action and good cop/bad cop laughs, this is a perpetual downer, stripped to the bone, it's a portrait of damaged people in a shabby part of Detroit. The investigation is standard formula stuff, but it's with the characterisations, and the attention to detail of said characters, that lifts this to near classic status. Grit and grime rule the day, with the violence never gratuitous and pulsing with intensity. The mystery element of the case is strong, we constantly wonder what happened as we trawl through the avenues of red herrings and streets populated with scummy characters, but nicely Carnahan has us primarily concerned with what happens to Tellis and Oak as opposed to the slain copper they are investigating. Carnahan breaks free from the sub-Tarrantino mimicry taunts that had landed his way previously, to produce a daring film visually, with kinetic hand held camera work, split-screens and washed out colours, all aiding the narrative, keeping this always as a gripping tale of substance.

It's not perfect, the wife is too standard, some loose ends dangle from the finale, but backed by two exemplary performances from Liotta and Patric, both never better, Narc goes way above cliché to hold in a grip throughout. 8/10

This is yet another entry in the canon of realistic crime dramas where two narcotic detectives team up to pursue a murder case that has gone cold. The murder was that of detective Henry Oak's (Ray Liotta) previous partner. Oaks is joined in the investigation by Nick Tellis (Jason Patric). Both detectives have personal reasons for wanting to solve the case and they pursue it obsessively.

This is not a buddy movie, since Oak and Tellis are more antagonistic toward each other than companionable. There is a remarkable lack or humor - I cannot remember a single instance of comic relief.

To say that we see the seamy side of urban life does not really do justice to what is shown. For example, we spend time (quite a bit of time in fact) in a room with a body in a bathtub that has been putrefying for a couple of weeks. When Tellis sees the headless body he vomits. The scene is filmed in such a way that you easily imagine the stench.

Patric and Liotta are very good in their roles - they create believable characters. The movie is well paced with some engaging camera work (the opening chase scene is a real grabber), and there are a few plot twists to keep your interest.

But, when it was all over I found myself asking the question if there was enough here to make it worth my time and I felt moderately inclined toward a negative answer.

All the flash-frames, jump-cuts, and jerky hand-held camera moves in the world can't disguise the fact that this is strictly another lesson in Cop Clichés 101. From the "nothing is what it seems" investigation to the cop's wife who annoyingly whines stuff like, "I can't stand by and watch you do this to yourself again!", there's a "been there, done that" smell to the whole film that no amount of faux "edginess" can cover up. And speaking of that "edginess", when are filmmakers going to just calm down and tell us a story that makes sense, instead of just trying to hide their shortcomings in an avalanche of hackneyed stylistic fetishes? I saw a review on here someplace comparing this film with the best work of Lumet and Freidkin. I wouldn't say that aloud in a room with either of those guys if I were you.

Narc was very, very fast-paced, and at times a little hard to follow... but whatever confusion I felt only added to the stark surrealism of the story. Shots of blue and gray and black, full of dark lines and sharp corners while always real somehow appeared to be strange and deep and profound. The story is gritty, filthy realism--- but I felt as though I were stepping into a completely amazing hallucination.

The acting and everything is brilliant but what really gets me is how well the feelings and the visual come together. The realism and blood becomes something deeply emotional.

I recommend it... unless you want to be all happy and sunny, in which case Narc is not for you.

Crime dramas are one of my favorite genres of film. I enjoy classics like The Godfather and Scarface, and Scorsese's movies like Goodfellas, Casino, and The Departed.

While Narc is not one of my favorite movies, I would place it with these as one of the most thrilling and entertaining additions to the crime drama genre.

Narc follows 2 narc officers in Detroit, Nick Tellis (Jason Patric) and Henry Oak (Ray Liotta from Goodfellas), who are assigned to solve a murder investigation of one of the local policemen.

Narc is part crime drama and part mystery, and both elements make the movie engaging. Nick and Henry meet many suspects who could have been involved with the murder, and each twist adds to the suspense.

That's one key element to why Narc is so enthralling. Each layer to the case makes the plot thicken. As such, it is easy to get sucked in by the plot and surprised at the twists. The acting is also well done, particularly from Patric and especially Liotta.

Narc also has a big twist at the end, revealed by an African American suspect, which made me gasp so loud that it sounded more like I was choking.

I do have some minor issues with Narc. Sometimes dialogue gets in the way of plot and the scenes drag for a little bit before it picks up again. There were also times I lost track of the plot, but that may have been more personal and I caught up soon after. (I can see myself catching more details in a 2nd viewing.)

As some reviewers critiqued, Narc is not the most original crime drama. I noticed that many plot beats were borrowed straight from Training Day: who the criminal was, the criminal using others to cover his tracks, the worried wife, the drug elements, etc. Even though Narc came out a year after Training Day, it seems like it was heavily influenced by it, causing some unoriginal cliches.

Also, while this didn't bother me too much, Narc also has lots of profanity, drugs like cocaine, and gritty violence. For example, in one scene, a dead body is found in a bathtub.

Apparently, weeks earlier the man used a loaded rifle as a subsitiute bong and while stoned, pulled the trigger and blew his brains out as a result. (The stench from this makes Nick vomit on the bathroom floor.)

As someone who has seen his share of Scorsese movies and similar crime dramas, I was not too offended by this. But if that's not your thing, then Narc is NOT for you. This is not a flaw, but rather a warning.

With its terrific acting, a compelling plot and case, and numerous edge of your seat twists, while it is profane and violent, I highly recommend Narc. If you love crime dramas and can handle their gritinnes, then please seek this movie out.

One final note: If you haven't already, and want as little spoilers as possible, DO NOT watch the theatrical trailer before seeing the movie. It gives away much of the plot and spoils the shocking experience that going in cold gives.

Genuinely terrific.

Ray Liotta and Jason Patric have terrific chemistry. And Ray Liotta delivers a performance on par with Goodfellas in this movie.

I love the way it's shot as well, it gives such a gross, uncomfortable feeling to the movie that is started with the opening sequence that is perfect. This establishes the main character and his devil may care attitude and his background.

And the character writing in this film is absolutely phenomenal, the character do actions that actually make sense and there are reasons for them that are explained or revealed. We understand these characters as people and not pawns for the writer's fun action sequences.

It's such a well-made movie, this and The Grey give me hope that Joe Carnahan can make something as great in the future.

Can you believe that the guy who did this, made Smokin Aces? And the "A-Team" cinema outing? Watching this, you never would have guessed. But yes it's the same guy. And while he got a performance of a lifetime out of Jason Patric (strangely enough, after this there was no big buzz surrounding him, which he would have more than earned in my eyes), you expect a stellar performance by someone like Liotta.

What you are not really expecting (especially if you have seen Smoking Aces or A-Team before you watch this), is the way it was shot. Very documentary style and very raw. But also very naturalistic and very good. It's a powerful watch and something that might stay with you, after you watch it. All the ingredients are mixed together in a great way, even with a very small budget. Which in that case was not seen as obstacle, but was used to the movies advantage!

After reading alot of extremely positive reviews about this movie on here I thought I was going to be in for a treat so my expectations were quite high. After watching it I guess I don't have the same standards for qualifying a movie as excellent. Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad movie, but it's certainly not the best cop movie I ever saw. There is alot of action and brutality so you'll never get bored during the movie, but it was sometimes also a bit too complicated and the ending could have been better. The acting of Jason Patric and Ray Liotta was good though. Both did a good job playing their characters. Narc is an okay movie to watch once but that's about it for me.

I stumbled across this film by accident in the misfortune of losing my sky remote. I soon found out that losing my remote was in fact one of the best things i had done that day because i got to see NARC. I had never heard any mention of this film before but decided to sit and watch it never the less. In the first few minutes i was gripped ( as i was throughout the rest of the movie)

When i watch a film i don't look at it the way an average film watcher would. I look at every aspect of the film, cinematography, soundtrack, acting, choice of actors and so on...you get what i mean. I look for flaws in movies (as bad as this sounds) but with NARC i struggled to find any. The acting by both Jason Patric and Ray Liotta blew me away. Even the supporting actors were amazing.

This film has twists. It'll have you believing one thing and then moments later you're back in the dark again...I love films that can do this.

It's one of those film that i wanted to tell everyone about after i had seen it. So i hope that expresses how good i think this film is! :)

So basically what i am saying is watch this film!!!

Hope this was helpful!

An overlooked gritty realistic police drama. Phenomenal acting with stylistic violence all wrapped up in a package that daringly blurs the line of right and wrong in regards to law enforcement. An engrossing thriller that keeps your eyes glued to the screen. Unique and engrossing visual style helps to escalate it even more.

"Narc" is a surprisingly gritty, violent crime flick which is bolstered by the performances of Jason Patric and Ray Liotta, both of whom look and act like they belong in it. Patric already played the role of an undercover cop, or "narc", who chased too close to the dragon in the similarly titled "Rush". Here, he repeats the trick and is perhaps more successful at it. Liotta has made an industry out of playing dodgy characters on either side of the law who generally screw over the people closest to them; he can be an undercover cop turned crooked, or a crook turned snitch for undercover cops. He demonstrates there's not much of a line between the two.

Despite this, "Narc"'s story never really grabbed me. I didn't believe that the two guys, who seem so damaged and hard edged, really cared about their mission, and the revelations about it weren't interesting and came long after I had stopped caring. It feels a bit like the producers had the two perfect actors for their movie - arguably the two most intense actors around - and just assumed that everything else would fall into place; perhaps they made the story up on the fly.