Narc (2002)
Directed by Joe Carnahan
Narcotics Sergeant Nick Tellis, on leave after a trauma, is called back to investigate the murder of fellow undercover operative Michael Calvess, joined by the victim's unpredictable and brutal ex-partner, Henry Oak. Working together in the back alleys of Detroit, Tellis and Oak delve into a dark investigation that leads them to uncover shocking secrets and question the corruption and morality within the department, encountering unorthodox methods and a brutal truth about Calvess's death.
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What critics compared Narc to
Like Al Pacino in "Serpico" and Russell Crowe in "L.A. Confidential," Nick is the departmental rebel who always runs afoul of the system.
As stark and cold as its wintry Detroit backdrop (it’s somewhat disappointing to learn that the film was actually filmed in Toronto), Narc earns comparison to landmark ‘70s police thrillers like The French Connection and Serpico—films that had style and energy to spare but were more interested in pursuing the minds of their characters than creating elaborate action sequences.
It joins Rush (which also starred Patric), The Onion Field, Serpico, Seven, The French Connection, Traffic, and Prince of the City as a grimy, hyper-real exploration of the emotional and psychological prices paid by cops.
Although much in the same vein as Serpico or LA Confidential, this film from writer/director Joe Carnahan (Blood, Guts, Bullets and Octane) overplays its dramatic twists.
Narc's presentation of cops and the crooks they arrest is similar to what Sidney Lumet with Prince of the City or Serpico.
Which is not to say that this one comes close to matching the standard of excellence set by such classics as "The French Connection" and "Serpico."
Screenwriter/director Joe Carnahan employs a lurid look and style that are more reminiscent of the films of Guy Ritchie ("Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels") than his own cop-thriller "Narc."
Writer-director Joe Carnahan trades the gritty realism of his previous film NARC for an over-the-top bullet opera riddled with dark comedy.
Writer/director Joe Carnahan (see "Blood, Guts, Bullets and Octane" and "Narc") makes an overreaching but inspired effort at reinventing the dumb-gangsters-with-big-guns motif that Quentin Tarantino created and continues to modify.
Carnahan, who made his mark with the gritty crime thriller “Narc,” flexes his stylistic talents with a film that is long on flashy looks and violence but short on substance.
Four years ago, you scored a modest hit with Narc, a tightly plotted if ultimately empty buddy-cop-betrayal drama starring Ray Liotta and Jason Patric.
We might have expected something slicker from experienced director Joe Carnahan ( The A-Team, Smokin' Aces , the excellent Narc ); if his latest tantalisingly evokes John Carpenter's mighty Assault On Precinct 13 it doesn't quite deliver.
It’s nowhere near as dramatic as Carnahan’s Narc, but the format reminded me of that title most as far as his career goes—especially when Louder makes their duo a trio.
Joe Carnahan’s Tarantino impression, the same one he’s been tweaking since Narc and Smokin’ Aces , has never been closer to the genuine article as it is in his latest, Copshop .
Joe Carnahan made a name for himself with the brutal, intense cop drama "Narc."
It’s directed with plenty of energy and gratuitous violence by Joe Carnahan (“Narc”/”The Grey”) and written by Kurt McLeod from a story by Mark Williams, as it aims to be a Tarantino-like pulp fiction piece with smart-ass dialogue.
Echoes of Quentin Tarantino, the noir B-movies of the 1950s and a couple of iconic westerns are all swirling around inside this guilty pleasure cop flick from Joe Carnahan (Narc, Smokin’ Aces).
After an opening that reminds of the breathless epileptic dirt of Joe Carnahan's Narc , director Jean-François Richet takes control of his frenetic camera and presents the action with an unusual amount of clarity for a modern shake-and-bake opera.
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Abrams, who was recruited by Cruise after original director Joe Carnahan ("Narc") exited, keeps things sprightly and brisk but lacks the flourish of his predecessors.
The latest winner from Joe Carnahan ( Narc ; The Grey ), one of the most consistently intelligent and skillful action directors of the past 20 years, Boss Level sets a new standard for recent time-loop films, and may be the best in the sub-genre since Groundhog Day .
It’s probably the slickest and slightest film from director Joe Carnahan, whose diverse CV includes writing and directing Narc (a tough, underrated crime drama), The A Team , Smokin’ Aces and The Grey ; he also penned Bad Boys for Life and Death Wish .
It’s “The Grey” and “Narc” director Joe Carnahan’s most recent effort and the latest in a long line of time-loop movies.
He’s an interesting director, as he seems equally adept at hardcore drama ( NARC & The Grey ) and more commercial, lighthearted fare (this and The A-Team ).
Since then, the once-promising director of "Narc" has released only one other movie, 2014's straight-to-streaming "Stretch" (a movie that largely survives on the back of Chris Pine).
Worse, the script by newcomer Chris Bremner, Peter Craig ( The Town ), and Joe Carnahan ( Narc ) forces the longtime police partners to confront mortality and other midlife crises, thereby making them reach into their shallow acting toolboxes — an unappetizing proposition at best.
The script, co-written by action guru Joe Carnahan ( Narc , The A-team ), wants consequences to the gunplay.
According to the blueprint drawn by screenwriters Chris Bremner, Peter Craig ( The Town ) and Joe Carnahan ( Narc , TV’s The Blacklist ), this is how the film will play out: A plot involving revenge from a former Mexican assailant Isabel Aretas (Kate del Castillo, All About Nina ) and her minion (Jacob Scipio, Hunter Killer ) evolves.