Clevercell Very disappointing...

Jeanskynebu the audience applauded

Kien Navarro Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Logan By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Red-Barracuda An undercover narc is suspended from the force when one of his assignments goes violently wrong; he is coaxed back into duty to assist a maverick cop find the killer of a fellow officer.Set in Detroit, Narc is a pretty good example of an ultra- gritty police film. It certainly starts with a bang, with an opening chase scene that ensures proceedings are begun on a highly intense note. It's certainly a dynamic start and it is indicative of the overall approach that the film will take, i.e. one that will aim for grim authenticity. Having said that, it isn't above using cinematic techniques such as split-screen as a means of illustrating a scene, while it is also visually stylised enough to use a washed out blue tint that effectively makes the urban setting seem even more cold and uninviting. The drama in the main focuses on the two detectives in a good cop/bad cop dynamic. Jason Patric is quite broody and withdrawn and Ray Liotta is a live-wire cop who doesn't play by the rules. To a certain extent their characters are a bit clichéd to be perfectly honest but both actors do good enough work with them to make them interesting and believable. But like many films of the police procedural type, it's the central mystery that ultimately keeps things ticking along and there are some decent surprises sprung along the way, including an interesting and effective ending that rounds things off just fine.

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!

cmoyton Beauty truly is in the eye. Yet another movie with a generously high rating for a film which personifies the term over rated.The film tries to mix a contemporary visual style more suited to promotional pop music video with the gritty low down look and feel of far superior 1970's cop dramas. The opening scene is engaging showing how Patric's undercover narcotics cop got fired from the force by means of an accidental shooting while chasing a suspect on foot, with clever use by the director of a hand held camera. Its all downhill from then on i am afraid.Rarely have i been more disinterested in a police procedural than this. The plot involves Patric being reinstated to the force in order to assist fellow detective, Liotta, in solving the murder of another undercover narcotics cop. There is much domestic angst on display as Patric and his wife fall out over his decision to join up again which is really wearing to watch.A tedious reminiscing conversation between Patric and Liotta whist on a stakeout contains the crucial information regarding the films "twist". This plot "revelation" at the films conclusion had me groaning in disbelief at how they couldn't even elevate this mundane fare with something more profound than this. During the whole course of the movie you never feel any empathy for the slain officer. His life story receives air brushed attention touching on corruption and drug addiction. Maybe you like the bursts of violence, or the visual style. For me i became disenfranchised with this after about 15 minutes never to return and thats what i really call criminal.

oneguyrambling I'm not here to say Narc is an all-time classic, but it is an extremely good film which deserved more attention than it got when released earlier this decade.Narc opens in a foot-chase between some guy and a scrawny, bedraggled Jason Patric as undercover cop Nick. The chase is filmed using the now all-too familiar hand held camera style, where the picture shudders and bounces along so that it is hard to focus and make sense of exactly what is happening.(This is OK in small doses but is now far too often used to cover up sub-par action. If I had my way directors could use it for no more than 3 minutes per film - and never for fight scenes.)Back to the story: The bad guy kills an innocent bystander, then picks up a young child as Nick closes in. Nick draws and shoots the bad guy dead, only in doing so inadvertently shoots a pregnant woman in the background.This is all shown in realistic graphic fashion, there are no somersaults or kung fu kicks, and no-one shoots with the pistol held sideways (even though that does look cool). The background is washed out greys and blues and kinda depressing really.This sets the tone for Narc.Cut to Nick the Narc's subsequent trial proceedings for the usual cop charge of recklessness near innocent bystanders. It turns out that he had already been sacked from the force, but as movies tend to do, they give him a reason to be pulled back in.In this case another undercover cop has been murdered and the police want answers. Answers that they feel only a guy who was previously undercover, and who would have low-life connections and knowledge can give. Nick is sent back in to find the killer with the promise of reinstatement if he is successful.At this time Nick also meets his new partner Henry Oak, played by Ray Liotta, who was also good friends with the murdered cop Michael Calvess. Oak is some-what of a loose cannon, abiding by the cop-movie cliché: in short he "plays by his own rules", and will stop at nothing to find the killer.Of course being thrust together Nick and Oak don't like or trust each other initially, (Oak thinks Nick is Internal Affairs) but it feels real and justified here, and not at all forced.As the investigation begins it becomes evident that this is not a movie where the trail is simply there to move between shootouts and car chases, with snappy dialogue in between. The investigation is slow, methodical and deliberate, with dead ends and lots of wasted effort.Oh and in this case a dude with no pants who lit his missus on fire as revenge. Why? Let's just say for causing him to go pantless.Along the way Nick's wife, disappointed that he has moved back into the firing line, decides enough is enough and moves out, taking their child with her. Again, in a lesser buddy-cop movie there would be a tearful reunion and all would be rosy, not here.The film's crescendo builds onward and upward toward providing an answer to what actually happened on the day Calvess was killed. We are given tidbits of information along the way, but nothing is resolved until the film is ready for it to happen.The ending is not so much a twist as it is a resolution, and when the truth finally arrives it is more a relief than a revelation.A few things I learned watching Narc:• Despite being a mere cartoon himself, Busta Rhymes can actually act, he has a brief but important role here and is very good. • Narc might be the only place that you might hear a song by The Baby Namboos. Actually a very good song by The Baby Namboos. • Ray Liotta is as versatile as anyone going around. His resume this decade includes Wild Hogs, Smokin' Aces, Heartbreakers, Revolver and Hannibal. And he was in Muppets from Space in 1999, and made me laugh in that. • Jason Patric is best when playing a scungy, downbeat low-life (see also Rush), largely because I think he is a scungy, downbeat guy (not necessarily a low-life). • Final Rating – 8.5 / 10. A reasonably straightforward film elevated by great performances and gritty realism, give me this over "CSI Anything" any day.If you liked this review (or even if you didn't) check out oneguyrambling.com