Narc
Suspended from the police force following an undercover drug bust gone horribly awry, Detroit undercover narcotics officer Nick Tellis (Jason Patric) is reluctantly goaded back into active duty in hopes that he can help to crack the case of a slain fellow officer. Promised reinstatement in the force in exchange for his efforts, Tellis is paired with the victim's volatile ex-partner Henry Oak (Ray Liotta) and soon begins to actively seek the killer in an increasingly complex case. A recent father whose wife fears for her husband's safety and begs him not to take back to the dangerous streets, Tellis struggles with his conscience as he navigates a twisting road of half-realized truths, shifting loyalties and questionable agendas. With every step closer to Tellis gets to solving the troubling murder, he grows farther away from his wife and newborn son, and edges ever closer to a resolution so complicated that it threatens to devour his soul and shatter every preconceived difference he has ever made between cop and criminal. more..
Director: Joe Carnahan
Starring: Ray Liotta, Jason Patric, Chi McBride, Busta Rhymes, Richard Chevolleau
Narc is as cop movie as a cop movie can be.
The investigation itself must remain undescribed here. But its ending is a neat and ironic exercise in poetic justice.
A no-bull throwback to 1970s action films. It zips along with B-movie verve while adding the rich details and go-for-broke acting that heralds something special.
This may be the most uncompromisingly raw police drama since "Across 110th Street," starring Anthony Quinn and Yaphet Kotto.
With such skilled filmmaking and committed acting on display, Narc is far more a score than a bust.
Best Casting for Feature Film, Independent
Casting Society of America (2003)
Joe Carnahan
Cognac Festival du Film Policier (2002)
Best Independent
Golden Trailer Awards (2002)
Best Cinematography
Independent Spirit Awards (2003)
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards (2003)
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