DVD Review

Narc (2003)

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DOWN WITH THEIR BAD SELVES Liotta (left) and Patric battle Detroit thugs and inner rages in ''Narc''

Credits

Rated: R; DVD Release Date: Jun 17, 2003; Genres: Drama, Mystery; With: Ray Liotta, Chi McBride and Jason Patric; Distributor: Paramount Pictures

B+

By Michael Sauter

A burned-out undercover narcotics detective (Jason Patric) teams with a loose-cannon lieutenant (Ray Liotta) to reopen the investigation of another cop's murder in Narc -- and there probably hasn't been a more brutal bending of police procedures since Gene Hackman created the template in ''The French Connection.'' Wallowing in Detroit's squalid depths, they confront some pretty scummy lowlifes, but it's when they're battling their own demons that writer-director Joe Carnahan's raw, messy, violent thriller gets truly dark -- and ultimately devastating. EXTRAS Carnahan and editor John Gilroy contribute an anecdotally informative (and genuinely funny) commentary; four short docs, including an interview with ''French Connection'' director William Friedkin, are equally informative, if less laugh-filled.

Posted Jun 20, 2003

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