Narc **** (2002, Ray Liotta, Jason Patric, Chi McBride, Krista Bridges) – Classic Movie Review 1824

Writer-director Joe Carnahan’s 2002 movie is a commendably tough, intelligent and convincing Seventies-style police thriller.

At long last there is a good role for Jason Patric as Nick Tellis, a Detroit PD ex-drugs cop reassigned when a team member’s killed, and for Ray Liotta too as Henry Oak, a scarily bull-in-a-china-shop police officer in charge of the case. Tellis teams with Oak, a friend of the dead undercover narc he’s brought back to replace.

Provocative, stylish and very well done, this cult movie in the making is strongly recommended to fans of strong thrillers. Carnahan’s dialogue and the dilemmas the characters face in his story seem fresh and real, which is remarkable in this overcrowded field of film-making.

Produced by Tom Cruise and his then business partner Paula Wagner, along with Ray Liotta, and Diane Nabatoff and Julius R .Nasso.

Chi McBride, Krista Bridges, Booth Savage, Alan Van Sprang, Alan C Peterson and Karen Robinson co-star.

Carnahan is the writer-director of Smokin’ Aces (2006), The A-Team (2010), The Grey (2011) and Stretch (2014).

© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 1824

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