This is a powerful movie that offers a well-crafted story, vividly drawn characters, believable dialogue, and sure-handed direction. "Narc" is tough, gritty, and realistic, with all the right nuances of working in a big city police department, and it's procedurally right on the mark every time. This is a great movie that keeps you on edge throughout and offers a clever twist at the end.
But the real payoff in this movie is the great performances by Jason Patric and Ray Liotta. Both of these actors are at the top of their games in "Narc," and they come across as real cops with real personalities. Patric's performance is suitably low-key. His character is an undercover cop; he listens more than he talks; he thinks about what he's doing next, and he keeps his head down. Liotta's performance is the opposite and much flashier. He chews scenery as the tough felony cop who kicks ass and takes names.
Let me say that I generally don't approve of how Hollywood portrays cops. We're often painted as brutal, corrupt alcoholics. And granted the cops in this movie do some things that are brutal and they suffer from substance abuse and other problems, but there's more to them than just their vices. They are complete, three-dimensional characters with bad, good, and neutral traits.
"Narc" rates a 9.0 on our Real Cops Believability Scale, with 1.0 being totally unbelievable and 10.0 being very believable. For comparison, a Steven Segal movie usually rates in the 1.5 range.
This is a great police procedural. Investigators use the right equipment, and the right people perform the right duties. The detectives talk to parole officers, check for warrants, use the computer, and talk on the radio. Uniform cops and the medical examiner are called out when needed. The heroes don't do everything in their investigation, like some cops do in the movies.
