It's exciting to witness fresh talent breaking, and Carnahan deserves some serious respect for this impressively gritty piece of genre cinema.
Narc (2002)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:151
Fresh:126
Rotten:25
Average Rating:7.1/10
Consensus: Jason Patric and Ray Liotta are electrifying in this gritty, if a little too familiar, cop drama.
Rated: R [See Full Rating] for strong brutal violence, drug content and pervasive language
Runtime: 1 hr 47 mins
Genre: Dramas
Theatrical Release:Jan 10, 2003 Wide
Box Office: $10,237,964
Synopsis:
In homage to such classic films as "The French Connection" and "Serpico," writer/director Joe Carnahan's "Narc" explores the dark underbelly of the drug world with a compelling story about the...
In homage to such classic films as "The French Connection" and "Serpico," writer/director Joe Carnahan's "Narc" explores the dark underbelly of the drug world with a compelling story about the intense psyche behind those individuals called "narcs," undercover officers who put themselves on the front lines of the war against drugs. Chipping away at the number of dealers on the streets, these brave men and women leave their loved ones behind each day as they throw themselves into the brutal world of drug abuse for one purpose only…to end it.
"Narc" tells the story of suspended undercover narcotics officer, Nick Tellis (Jason Patric), who is reluctantly drawn back onto the force to find the truth behind the murder of a young police officer killed in the line of duty. He is teamed with Henry Oak (Ray Liotta), the slain officer's partner, a rogue cop who will stop at nothing to avenge his friend's death. As Tellis and Oak unravel the case, the dark underbelly of the narcotics world reveals itself in surprising ways that are more twisted than either officer has seen before…and the mystery that slowly reveals itself threatens to destroy them both.
Nominated for the Dramatic Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah and winner of the Special Prize Policier Award at the Cognac Film Festival in France, "Narc" is written and directed by an innovative new voice in filmmaking, Joe Carnahan ("Blood, Guts, Bullets and Octane"). The film stars Jason Patric ("Your Friends & Neighbors," "Rush") and Ray Liotta ("Hannibal," "Goodfellas"). An intense adrenaline rush from the first heart-stopping chase scene to the stunning dramatic climax, this taut police thriller also features rap artist Busta Rhymes ("Finding Forester," "Shaft") and Chi McBride ("Undercover Brother").
Starring: Ray Liotta, Jason Patric, Busta Rhymes, Richard Chevolleau
Starring: Ray Liotta, Jason Patric, Busta Rhymes, Richard Chevolleau, Chi McBride, John Ortiz, Anne Openshaw, Alan Van Sprang, Tom Cruise
Director: Joe Carnahan
Director: Joe Carnahan
Screenwriter: Joe Carnahan
Producer: Ray Liotta
Composer: Cliff Martinez
Studio: Paramount Pictures
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Reviews for Narc
Nothing to hide here: Narc is the straight dope for gritty crime-story junkies.
The opening tests the limits of an R-rating, as a drug fueled cop chases down a criminal that has no regard for civilians or human life...
Puts the dirt back underneath the fingernails of a finely manicured Hollywood.
Carnahan ... revisits the crime drama, breathing new life into it with style and grit.
Writer-director Joe Carnahan's visceral, hyperkinetic style mainlines you right into the story -- it's sort of like being pistol-whipped.
Somehow, writer/director Joe Carnahan has developed a style after his first atrocious film and has now turned out a gritty, compelling drama.
...crisp and stylish writing and direction by Joe Carnahan, who pays homage to the gritty police dramas of the 1970s
Smart script, believable story, lots of unanswered questions, none resolved in pat ‘Hollywood’ ways, great locations and set design, and good, dreary-looking, cinematography.
You think you know where this is going, but it constantly veers off in directions you'd never guess - they took an ordinary police story and cranked it up a notch.
Marred only by a mildly disappointing ending, it's a smart, hard-hitting drama.
Narc may not get an 'A' for originality, but it wears its B-movie heritage like a badge of honor.
Carnahan works with a rough-hewn classicism that recalls the tenacity and resilience of Hollywood in its glory days.
The film grabs you by the collar from the opening scene and hardly lets go.
Heavy, sweating, ill-shaved, and wearing cheap suits, Ray Liotta's Oak is in that middle range of movie characters whom we both dislike yet are fascinated by.
Carnahan keeps Patric's repressed guilt and desperation from slipping into somnambulism and keeps Liotta's manic energy organic to his character's rage.
Latest News for Narc
May 03, 2007:
Smokin' Joe Has Seen a "Sin City 2" Teaser
And by "Smokin' Joe" I mean Crazy Joe Carnahan, director of action flicks like "Narc" and "Smokin' Aces." Seems that Robert Rodriguez recently... More...
August 18, 2006:
Trailer Bulletin: The Insane "Smokin' Aces"
Last week I was all set to share the all-new and seriously energetic trailer for Joe Carnahan's "Smokin' Aces," but the official site went bye-bye before I could... More...
October 14, 2005:
Andy Garcia Joins Carnahan's "Smokin'" Ensemble
Variety brings word that Andy Garcia will climb aboard director Joe Carnahan's "Smokin' Aces," am action-comedy that's already packing some solid star power. More...
August 12, 2005:
Carnahan Starts "Smokin'" for Universal
"Narc" director Joe Carnahan has been tapped by Universal to helm "Smokin' Aces," from his own screenplay. The action thriller is set to star Ryan Reynolds,... More...
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