I’m telling on you

Narc

Starring Jason Patric and Ray Liotta

Directed by Joe Carnahan

…

Narc

Starring Jason Patric and Ray Liotta

Directed by Joe Carnahan

“Narc” may leave you bruised. It’s tough – ’70s tough – with brutality all over the place. It’s worth taking a beating, though, to get a look at an appreciable piece of – again, ’70s style – genre filmmaking. The film doesn’t reinvent anything – it’s an uncomplicated police drama, as simple as cops-pushed-over-the-edge vs. the scum of the streets – but then, it doesn’t try to, which is more refreshing than you might think.

It’s clear from the start that we’re not dealing with some autopilot rerun. The first scene is as basic as the film’s premise, but it shows how the proper verve can elevate an idea that might otherwise feel stale. It’s a frantic chase sequence, good guy pursuing bad guy on foot. While the concept is far from innovative, the scene is skillfully shot and edited and, as a result, harrowing, stirring in a very primal sense. I can’t think of another film that becomes so nerve-racking so quickly.

The plot concerns undercover narcotics officer Nick Tellis (Jason Patric), who’s reinstated to the Detroit Police Force after an 18-month suspension that resulted from an investigation gone awry (let’s just say the conclusion of that opening chase isn’t pretty). His department has a dead officer on its hands – another undercover narc – and no leads whatsoever. Nick’s contacts in the local drug scene are the only hope of figuring out who the killer is. He isn’t too keen on returning to the field, though – he has a wife and baby to worry about, not to mention painful memories of his last undercover stint – but solving the case is the only way he can earn a desk job, so he teams up with Henry Oak (Ray Liotta in a ferocious performance), the deceased officer’s partner and a veritable pit-bull of a cop, and hits the street one last time.

The plot is standard issue, but the conviction of the director and actors make the film worthwhile, memorable even. It is ironic that, in a time when most films strive desperately to achieve great meaning and complexity – and for the most part end up hollow – a film content to be little more than a solid genre picture actually resonates. Unfortunately, most reputable directors are lately afraid to make genre films – it is not such a lowly pursuit.

Director Joe Carnahan has pulled off quite a turnaround on his sophomore outing – his first film, “Blood, Guts, Bullets and Octane,” was an amateurish Tarantino rip-off that showed none of the talent it’s now apparent he has. Judging by “Narc,” he must have found inspiration in the ’70s work of directors such as Sidney Lumet and William Friedkin. Now if only he would direct a throwback to ’70s horror …