Narc (2002)

When the trail goes cold on a murder investigation of a policeman an undercover narcotics officer is lured back to the force to help solve the case.

Director:

Joe Carnahan

Writer:

Joe Carnahan

Stars:

Ray Liotta, Jason Patric, Chi McBride

1 win & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dan Leis	...	Elvin Dowd
Jason Patric	...	Nick Tellis
Lloyd Adams	...	Walter Dandridge
Meagan Issa	...	Little Girl
Lina Giornofelice	...	Jeanine Mueller (as Lina Felice)
A.C. Peterson	...	Freeman Franks (as Alan C. Peterson)
Karen Robinson	...	Liz Detmer
Chi McBride	...	Captain Cheevers
Booth Savage	...	Cecil Mitchum
Alan Van Sprang	...	Michael Calvess
Gavyn Donaldson	...	Tellis' Infant Son
Myles Donaldson	...	Tellis' Infant Son
Krista Bridges	...	Audrey Tellis
Ray Liotta	...	Henry Oak
Thomas Patrice	...	Officer Marcotte

Storyline

An undercover narc dies, the investigation stalls, so the Detroit P.D. brings back Nick Tellis, fired 18-months ago when a stray bullet hits a pregnant woman. Tellis teams with Henry Oak, a friend of the dead narc and an aggressive cop constantly under the scrutiny of internal affairs. They follow leads, informants turn up dead, Nick's wife is unhappy he's back on the street, Henry's protective of the dead cop's wife. Nick reads and re-reads the case file, broods, watches Oak's heavy-handed style, sometimes joining in. The brass want to close out the case, Nick and Henry stay on it, and bits of evidence point them to an auto body shop. What actually happened; will Nick ever know?

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Plot Keywords:

undercover | murder | opening action scene | blood splatter | police shootout | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong brutal violence, drug content and pervasive language

Details

Official Sites:

Paramount [United States]

Country:

USA Canada

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

10 January 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Narc: Calles peligrosas

Filming Locations:

Regent Park, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$7,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$63,303, 22 December 2002, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$10,460,089, 16 March 2003

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, Lions Gate Films, Cruise/Wagner Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Filmed in 28 days.

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Goofs

When Lt. Henry Oak is first seen, his jacket is off, revealing his shoulder holster rig. He is carrying a .357 magnum revolver, but the holster rig is made for a semiautomatic. The strap on the side opposite the pistol contains a case for a semiautomatic magazine.

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Quotes

[last lines]
Henry Oak: [crying] Oh, my God, Mike, I'm sorry. Oh, my God, I'm sorry! I'm sorry!

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Connections

Edited into Narc: Making the Deal (2003)

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Soundtracks

Holy
Performed by The Baby Namboos
Courtesy of Palm
Words and Music by Mark Porter, Tony Quigley, Aurora Borealis and Leo Coleing

User Reviews

Cerebral Cop Thriller

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