On N List of Movie Reviews
(For optimum viewing, adjust the zoom level of your browser to 125%.)
Narc (2002)
Rate:
9
Viewed:
8/03, 6/17, 12/20
6/17:
The best part of Narc?
Ray Liotta. That guy will come after you and kick your balls while he's at it. As Detective-Lieutenant Henry Oak, he's
fun to watch and has great intensity in his eyes. By the way, Ray Liotta never grew a goatee before in his life, so he did
it for the film which serves his character well along with the black eyeliner. Also, according to IMDb:
"Ray Liotta gained 25 lbs. for the role by eating foods heavy in carbohydrates. Before he would shoot for the day, he prepared
by eating Chinese food because the soy in the food helps to retain water and give him that 'puffy' look. He also wore a fat
suit under his clothes at all times as well as prosthetic skin under his eyes to give him an aged baggy look."
Although it may look old hat for Jason Patric after doing the same thing in Rush, he's impressive
by countering Ray Liotta's dominating personality. His character tries hard to stay on the thin line between good and evil because
that's the nature of the job. Rooting for him is easy because it's so obvious that what Oak was doing is illegal and that there have
been many signals given off that he might be crooked after all although I wanted to believe in his goodness.
Both actors are the reasons for the film's success because they appear to be on the edge; in other words, it's old-school
acting with them feeding off each other. In fact, Ray Liotta and Jason Patric worked for nearly no money because they believed
in the project.
Narc reminds me of The Thin Blue Line because of how the incident keeps being
replayed with new details as it becomes more magnified. The difference is the latter was done through pure manipulation while the
former did no such thing, hence the '9' rating. What I don't like is the inconsistency in editing. It can be horrible at times.
There are many terrific scenes that look real and gritty. It's easy to feel the authenticity. Seemingly filmed on location in Detroit,
it was shot there for only one day while the rest was done in Toronto. Hence, they've done a good job for getting
away with it because I see no difference, really.
All in all, Narc is a tough, gritty policier that paints a honest look of what it's like to be an undercover
cop, and having Ray Liotta on board goes a long way.
12/20:
Narc is The French Connection all over again but with a definite ending.
This time, it's about police corruption à la Sidney Lumet with one veteran detective trying to pin the blame on black
thugs who look like easy targets for scapegoating purpose. Although shot on location mostly in Toronto, Canada, the Detriot landscape
is the perfect environment because it's literally nothing but urban decay there.
Ray Liotta is gangbusters as Henry Oak, doing pretty much whatever he wants to do to the point of breaking every police
procedure known to cops. It's Jason Patric's Nick Tellis who has seen enough (and me, too) and decides to put an end to it.
At any rate, he gives a strong performance as compared to Rush.
All in all, a gritty film that's almost similar to Training Day, Narc is enjoyable.