Over the course of one feverish day, a harried narcotics detective and his reluctant partner frantically track down a recently released convict who knows a secret from the past.
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Best movie ever!
This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.
The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.
This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.
Eugene McCanick (David Morse) is an unlikeable Philadelphia cop who has a bad relationship with his son and everyone else on the planet. He has no trouble lying to his partner. When Simon Weeks (Cory Monteith) gets paroled, McCanick is told to stay away from him which lasts for two scenes.The film consists of McCanick attempting to find Weeks through young male prostitutes, of which Weeks was one. The movie is told with flashbacks to amplify the lies of our main character. I watched the film not knowing where it was going through boring action and drama scenes, hoping the film would make sense and redeem itself. Unfortunately, once I had figured out what I was watching, I couldn't wait for it to end. Sorry. No spoilers.Not my cup of poison.Parental Guide: F-bombs. No sex or nudity.
"Raze" director Josh Waller's melodramatic police yarn "McCanick" qualifies as an above-average but unsavory thriller about a troubled Philadelphia detective whose life spirals downward into tragedy. As the unhinged homicide detective with a past that he prefers to keep secret, David Morse is terrific as the eponymous protagonist McCanick. He behaves like Gene Hackman's psychotic, drug-busting N.Y.P.D. cop in William Friedkin's "The French Connection." Indeed, Waller stages a scene somewhere in the middle where McCanick pursues a suspect, Simon Weeks (the late Cory Monteith of "Glee"), on a subway train, but Weeks manages to board the train minutes before it pulls out of the station. A frustrated McCanick scrambles out of the station into the street below and hijacks a citizen's car and following the train to the next station. What starts out as just another standard-issue police procedural about a corrupt cop turns into a confusing narrative about a cop who is more concerned with his bisexual behavior. Weeks and he shared an intimate moment at Weeks' apartment when McCanick and he hugged and kissed each other and McCanick offered him a place to stay. Throughout scenarist Daniel Noah's script, two stories appear to unfold and crossover. The first half of "McCanick" isn't bad. McCanick and his ill-fated police partner, confront some dastardly drug dealers in an apartment. Not only does McCanick blast the evil African-American drug dealer, but he also accidentally guns down his partner, Floyd Intrator (Mitch Vogel of "Cloverfield") and then attributes the blame to Weeks. Naturally, this infuriates McCanick's superior, Captain Jerry Quinn (Ciarán Hinds of "Munich") who worries about McCanick's demeanor and the secrets cluttering up their past as well as their colleagues in the precinct."McCanick" isn't a bad film, but it is flawed. Primarily, the plot gets a little confusing and takes a bad turn. Imagine "Training Day" with a white protagonist who is a little more sympathetic but ultimately doomed. You may like McCanick, but the character has several bad characteristics that pull at arm's length. He emerges as a villain in the end. David Morse's performance is outstanding as a man in turmoil whose last act is pretty horrific. The rest of the performances are serviceable, with Hinds doing wonders with a small part. Waller generates atmosphere with his on location lensing in Philadelphia, and cinematographer Martin Ahlgren always thrusts us into the best possible place to see the action unfold. Traditional audiences that love film noir thrillers will enjoy this more than popcorn and beer spectators that want to see an action-packed epic. If you like to feel good at the end of each movie that you watch, "McCanick" may alienate you. You'll feel more relieved than satisfied.
On the surface, McCanick is a simple story of a cop going after an ex-con who he has a history with. As the film progresses, the lines begin to blur, leaving the audience to question who is really the good guy and who is actually the bad guy? This film is notable, as it is the last thing Glee star Cory Monteith worked on before he died, and it was a definite change in direction for the young star. The story starts on Eugene Wellington McCanick's birthday, a happy day that should mark a reunion with his son, but instead marks a day where he learns that the biggest bust of his career, acquiesced killer Simon Wells (Cory Monteith) had been paroled. McCanick is ordered to leave the situation alone, but he can't rest while this man is on the street and McCanick goes looking for trouble. This is a very dark and methodical drama that really seems to have no depth whatsoever, until you see both sides of the story presented in flashbacks. David Morse stars as your typical tough loner cop, whose life is all about the job. The kind of cop that takes his job personally and will do whatever it takes to bust the people he sees as a threat to his city. When I think tough guy, David Morse is not the first person who comes to mind, but he has a history of playing both the good and the bad guy, making the role of Eugene McCanick perfect for him. He's paired with Cory Monteith, who as a teen heartthrob, has never really been seen as more than a sweet, lovable guy. Simon Wells is anything but sweet an lovable, as he's been severally damaged by a life on the streets, but the question becomes just how bad a guy is he? McCanick is the kind of film where everything seems to be laid right out in front of you, the kind of film where you're not expecting a surprise, but that's the whole premise of the film. The whole purpose of the film is to make you question everything you believe and it really turns into to something very unique and special. McCanick doesn't have a cast or a preview that screams out to you, many people are just going to skip it, but if you do, you'll be missing that special kind of movie that leaves you thinking about it long after it's over.
I watched this film for one reason cory monteith. This film overall will keep you guessing. What is the nature of mccanick and weeks' characters why does he hate him so much etc who is the bad guy?! I definitely recommend any glee/cory fan to watch if you haven't already...cory displayed a huge talent i had yet to see, the depth of this character is so unlike the unloving leader finn, it will make you wonder if this is how cory was in part in real life, if this is the pain he hid, and medicated to the point of his demise. i am both saddened and proud after watching this movie and am left with the knowledge that had he lived he no doubt would have made beautiful award winning material, but alas that is not the reality. 9/10 only not a 10 because cory deserved more screen time. rip cory we love you.