‘Narc’ is dark and riveting

Undercover Detroit police narcotics detective Michael Calvess is

found beaten and shot in the head. After two months, the

investigation is going nowhere.

Nick Tellis (Jason Patric) is a former undercover narcotics

detective who was forced off the job after wounding a civilian in a

shootout. Tellis reluctantly agrees to return to duty to help solve

this crime. He’ll be working with Lt. Henry Oak (Ray Liota), Calvess’

partner. Oak knows the crime better than anyone else and has a track

record as a solid cop; however, his violent temperament makes his

fellow officers question his emotional stability. The difference

between Oak and Tellis is reflected in the weapons the men choose

when they step out of the car. Tellis checks his police service

revolver. Oak prepares a shotgun. In “Narc,” two men with contrasting

temperaments and styles have to work together to solve the murder.

On the surface, the story sounds pretty much like every cop movie

ever made, but “Narc” is a lot more than an ordinary cop movie.

“Narc” is about moments in time when we doubt ourselves, doubt the

future of the world around us and decide to just keep going. Tellis

knows the world of the murdered officer. He understands the

confusion, how lines get blurred in deep-cover narcotics

investigations, and how cops can become addicts. He knows that he

could have been the one they found with a bullet in his head, and

even wonders if it should have been him. For Tellis, discovering the

truth about Calvess’ murder is a journey of self-examination. The

road is dark, cold and very painful. There’s nothing certain about

finding what he needs, even if he solves this crime.

Oak’s uncontrollable temperament keeps Tellis on the defensive.

His intense rage, and sometimes overwhelming need to be in control,

magnify the conflicts that Tellis feels when he sees himself, as

Calvess, laying dead on the concrete. Tellis won’t get forgiveness or

salvation from Oak.

“Narc” uses dark flashbacks, moments in time that we see for just

a few seconds, to bring us into Tellis’ head. They are choppy and

unsettling, and communicate Tellis’ suffering, confusion and doubts.

A lot of the techniques in this movie, split screens and dizzying

hand-held camera work, are things that frequently seem gimmicky and

cliche in other movies. In “Narc,” director/screenwriter Joe Carnahan

and cinematographer Alex Nepomniaschy use these stylistic touches to

underscore the chaos felt by the characters. As we watch the screen,

we aren’t just seeing people through a giant peephole. The visual

choices are critical to the subtext of this story. It’s Carnahan’s

first feature film, and I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot more from this

guy. I’ll be surprised if Nepomniaschy’s work doesn’t garner some

awards.

The acting in “Narc” is stellar. Patric and Liota work in perfect

harmony, a sort of ying-yang of thoughtful contemplation and chaotic

madness. Carnahan is a fan of 1970s cop movies. It’s easy to see how

Tellis is modeled after Serpico, and Oak is modeled after Popeye

Doyle. Henry Oak is without a doubt the angriest cop in the history

of Hollywood. How Liota could bring that kind of fury to work

everyday without going insane is beyond my comprehension. His

character is like a walking chainsaw.

One of the things I love about this movie is the texture. This is

a dirty movie. It’s grimy. It captures the scatological ooze, the rot

and the decay of an area in Detroit that has been in decline for 40

years. Ironically, most of the movie was actually shot on location in

Toronto. So much for the idea that Canada is clean, safe and

wholesome.

My only complaint with “Narc” is that the ending is unsatisfying.

It wasn’t that the ending was unbelievable, but the last 10 minutes

or so felt rushed. There are some pretty big loose ends that needed

to be tied up. It’s a shame, because the previous hour and a half is

really great. This is a must see for fans of cop movies and people

who enjoy clever visual storytelling. Quentin Tarantino fans, people

with a fairly dark sense of humor, will find a lot in this movie to

love. It’s not as intense as “Reservoir Dogs,” but Liota certainly

has his moments. I can hardly wait for the DVD to see the extras.

* JIM ERWIN, 40, is a technical writer and computer trainer.