| PRODUCTION
NOTES
ABOUT
THE STORY
 When
a drug bust goes awry and a pregnant woman is shot, undercover narcotics
officer Nick Tellis (Jason Patric) is suspended from the Detroit
Police Force. With a baby of his own and a wife who has seen him
tortured by the horrific incident, Tellis is not anxious to go back
onto the force, but he doesn't know any other kind of work that
can fulfill him.
 Now
it is eighteen months after his suspension, and Tellis is brought
before a review board and told he is needed to help crack a homicide
case. A rookie undercover officer has been killed, and if Tellis
takes on the assignment and apprehends a suspect, he is told he
can have the assignment of his choosing and all the charges against
him will be dismissed.
 Homicide
Detective Henry Oak (Ray Liotta), the slain officer's partner and
mentor, is a barebones, brass knuckles cop who has been leading
the murder investigation. A respected officer, who brings in solid
collars with a 93% conviction rate, Oak has become increasingly
volatile and aggressive since the trail of clues in the case has
gone cold. In fact, for over sixty days, there has been no tangible
evidence or a single suspect uncovered.
 Despite
his wife's concerns about his mental stability if he goes back undercover,
Tellis teams up with Oak, whose heavy-handed, and often brutal style,
is difficult for Tellis to handle. Still, somehow the two men begin
to work together, chasing down leads, tracking informants and finally
zeroing in on two primary suspects, drug dealers Beery (Busta Rhymes)
and Steeds (Richard Chevolleau), who operate out of a grimy Detroit
chop shop.
As
Oak browbeats Beery and Steeds for a confession, the true story
of how the young officer was killed slowly comes into focus…and
the truth is nothing less than shocking.
Inspired by a critically acclaimed documentary, "The Thin Blue
Line," about an actual slaying of a Dallas police officer in
1976, writer/director Joe Carnahan first developed "Narc"
in 1994 as a short film entitled "Gun Point." But the
young filmmaker still had a fascination for the subject and wanted
to expand the 30-minute short into a feature film that could delve
deeper into a complicated murder investigation.
"The
story just stuck with me," remembers Carnahan. "It had
a resonance that I really wanted to go back to, which is rare for
me. In fact, usually I write something and it's out of my system,
but in this particular case, I felt there were things worth mining
cinematically."
Expanding "Gun Point" into "Narc" and developing
it into a film in which a very dark event slowly comes to light
from different points of view, Carnahan set his story in the mean
streets of Detroit and centered it around a disgraced police officer
who makes his way through the gritty drug underworld in search of
not only the truth about what happened to the slain officer, but
also his own inner truth.
"I
was just blown away by the script," says Ray Liotta, who was
looking for a quality screenplay to begin his venture into producing.
"I loved the way it leads you in different directions. It's
structured in such a way that it kept me guessing so that I never
saw the end coming."
Liotta
adds that he also liked the depth that Carnahan wrote into each
character. "Both Tellis and Oak, are such complicated souls,
and actors just don't come across roles like these very often,"
says Liotta. "Too many characters are written as either black
or white, but these guys have a lot of underlying gray to them that
makes them more real."
According
to Carnahan, none of his characters are exactly who they appear
to be on the surface because people in real life are holding in
a lot of emotions.
"Nick
Tellis, for example, is a very basic, decent man at heart, who is
very troubled," says Carnahan. "Like all of us at one
time or another, he made a mistake, and now he has to live with
it. He becomes a tortured soul, and Jason Patric portrays him with
such an intensity and intelligence that I feel honored and flattered
that he made this character a part of his body of work."
Jason Patric was drawn to the depth of the story as well as to Carnahan's
passion for the project. "Joe knew what he wanted from the
movie and he had a real, naturalistic style with the camera that
he was always ratcheting up," says Patric. "In that way,
he not only furthered the story, but he also accentuated the struggles
that all the characters were going through."
Patric
went on to admit that in order to find the character of Nick Tellis,
he looked to parts of himself with which he wasn't particularly
comfortable. "Everybody has a certain amount of self-loathing,"
says the actor, "and Tellis found himself in a position where
he really had to stare right at his own weaknesses and come to terms
with them. Often people have to go on a brutal journey to find out
who they are and to get at the truth of things, whether it's the
truth about a murder or the truth about themselves."
One of the ways that individuals learn about themselves and grow
is through other people, and from Patric's point of view, his character
hooks up with Ray Liotta's character, Henry Oak, as part of his
journey to understand life and death.
"Tellis
and Oak don't have much in common," observes Patric, "other
than they're both trying to find an inner peace. In doing so, Tellis
goes at things intellectually, while Oak goes at life by his gut."
Ray Liotta, who stars as the volatile Henry Oak and also serves
as one of the film's producers, says that there are many sides to
this very intense, very angry homicide detective and that portraying
such a multifaceted individual was a challenge he relished.
"Oak
is a very moral guy, and although some of his actions don't show
it, he's really acting from his heart," observes Liotta. "He's
haunted by a love he has lost -- his wife who passed away -- and
oddly enough, he feels that after her death he became a better cop
because he no longer had attachments that made him hesitate in dangerous
situations."
Liotta
agrees with Patric that his character is very different from that
of Tellis, but he does believe that the two men do share one thing
in common -- obsession.
"Oak
does things his own way. He's very old school and he wants to go
at everything very directly and sometimes forcefully," says
Liotta. "Tellis is more of a thinker. Like Oak, he takes his
job very seriously, but Tellis is more into piecing together the
puzzle and trying to figure out exactly how things happened."
Both
officers are obsessed with solving the murder of a man who appears
only briefly in the film but is the central focus of it. He is the
slain officer and Oak's former partner, Michael Calvess, portrayed
by Alan Van Sprang. According to Liotta, it is Calvess and Tellis
who are really most alike.
"There's
a parallel between these guys," observes Liotta. "Both
get too deeply into their jobs, too deeply into the drug scene,
and both start to become what they are chasing. Unfortunately for
Calvess, he doesn't come back; he ends up dead, and my character
becomes too deeply involved with the family he left behind. So,
while Oak may seem to be flying off the handle, there's a method
to his madness. There's a deep love that's fueling his intensity."
Liotta
adds that he was very excited in particular to take on Oak's character
because he'd never played anyone quite like him before and the part
allowed him to become a completely different persona mentally, emotionally
and especially physically.
"Usually
for various roles I'm working out like crazy, but to play the character
of Oak, I needed to look like a guy who was so obsessed he'd let
himself go physically," explains Liotta. "The way Joe
wrote the part, Oak was a big, bruising fellow -- heavy not only
emotionally but physically. I trusted Joe's instincts completely,
and ended up not even looking like myself."
Carnahan
couldn't have been happier with Liotta's performance, adding that
he was really gratified by how Liotta took it upon himself to literally
embody the character.
"Ray's
a good looking guy and the camera just loves him," says Carnahan.
"And here I asked him to completely transform his look, aging
himself 10 to 15 years and putting on 30 pounds. With Ray's performance
and Jason's, I really believe I have two of the finest actors of
their respective generations in my film. I feel very fortunate to
have guys of their magnitude working with me."
Carnahan
also points out that without Liotta there would be no "Narc,"
at least not the film he wanted to direct. "Ray stood behind
the project the whole way," says Carnahan. "He gave of
himself not just as an actor, but as a producer and as a friend.
It was wonderful how he completely believed in me and the film."
In
addition to the two main stars, "Narc" has an excellent
supporting cast that includes Busta Rhymes and Richard Chevolleau,
who play Beery and Steeds, the two main suspects to Calvess' murder.
Together, along with a host of fine actors who portray informants,
dealers, junkies and all types of people involved in the gritty
drug scene, these intricate performances add layers to the film
and take audiences into a world most have never been to before.
Carnahan
says that Rhymes and Chevolleau had particularly challenging roles
in that for most of the time they're on screen, they're chained
to chairs and seated back to back.
"I
told them that essentially I was going to take away everything they
had," explains Carnahan. "I wanted them to feel like they
had nothing left but their force of will and their guile, and then
I was going to have them go fifteen rounds with Ray Liotta. And
God bless them, these actors rose to the challenge."
Known primarily as a rap artist, Busta Rhymes says that he brought
the same aggressiveness he uses in performing his music to the role
of Beery.
"My
character is a hustler, a real street guy," says Rhymes. "I
think that even though he's kind of a bad guy, a drug dealer, he's
not all black or white. In fact, the whole script is really incredible.
No one is as they seem on the surface, and I felt that every time
I expected something to happen or someone to act in a particular
way, I was always surprised."
"Nothing
about this film is clearly identifiable as good or evil, right or
wrong," says Jason Patric. "It's about people on various
journeys who face scary things along the way."
"The
whole movie is very heartfelt," add Ray Liotta. "It's
definitely much more complex than your average thriller."
ABOUT
THE PRODUCTION
Joe
Carnahan's "Narc" has the distinction of being
the first feature film launched by Tiara Blu Films, a production
company founded by Ray Liotta, Michelle
Grace and Diane Nabatoff.
According to Liotta, the minute it came across his desk, he recognized
it as a great project to launch the company.
"The
script is so smartly written, the story is so solid, and Joe
Carnahan has such a passion for the film that Michelle,
Diane and I thought it was a great way to start off Tiara Blu,"
says Liotta. "Joe's got a great future in filmmaking and we
were proud to come aboard to help him start living his dream."
Producer
Diane Nabatoff feels the same
way. "Joe's script is incredibly well-written. It hits you
right in the gut," says Nabatoff. "It's edgy, raw and
honest. While it looks like a regular story leading toward a singular
goal, all the characters have different agendas that are in conflict
with one another, making the film a lot more complex than it first
appears. That's the genius of Joe."
Known
for backing new filmmakers, such as E. Elias Merhige ("Shadow
of the Vampire" and the upcoming "Suspect Zero")
and Alejandro Amenábar ("The Others" and "Abre
Los Ojos," upon which "Vanilla Sky" was based), the
veteran producers of the "Mission Impossible" blockbusters,
Tom Cruise and Paula
Wagner of Cruise/Wagner Productions, came aboard to support
Joe Carnahan and see that "Narc" receives the attention
and recognition it deserves.
"I
enjoy movies, not just making them, but watching them as well. I
also enjoy helping other filmmakers, especially those as dedicated
to the art of filmmaking as Joe Carnahan," says Cruise. "When
I saw 'Narc' for the first time, I was struck by the raw intensity
- the almost voyeuristic approach Joe took in telling this story."
"'Narc' is one of those rare films that comes along and grabs
you," adds Wagner. "When you finish watching it, you know
you've just experienced something very special."
Commenting
on the exceptional acting in the film, Cruise goes on to say that
"Ray Liotta and Jason Patric are a powerhouse team and they
play off of each other so beautifully that I forgot I was watching
a film. Joe's use of their combined talents to drive the story is
nothing short of brilliant. It's a thrill for me to be lending my
support to this project."
Wagner
agrees wholeheartedly: "Tom and I are proud to support a film
of this caliber, which showcases the extraordinary performances
of Jason Patric and Ray
Liotta. Joe Carnahan has certainly made one of the most
innovative and fresh films I have seen, and as a new director, he
has one of the most unique voices in cinema today. The off-screen
story of how 'Narc' was made," adds Wager, "demonstrates
how a filmmaker's passion can drive through the most difficult circumstances
in order to make a project not only survive but thrive. The passion
guts and talent of everyone involved with this film is truly inspiring."
To
writer/director Joe Carnahan, the arduous journey of having "Narc"
come to fruition was like a phoenix rising, and as far as he is
concerned, "Ray Liotta really pulled it from the ashes,"
throwing himself into the project and going to bat to get it financed.
"We
had a great script and a great new director with a real vision,"
says Liotta. "But the behind-the-scenes stuff of getting an
independent movie made is extremely challenging, even when it's
as good as this one."
Producer Nabatoff couldn't agree more, adding that "Narc"
was probably one of the hardest films to get off the ground, but
also one of the most gratifying projects with which she's ever been
involved.
"Two
weeks into filming, we were told we had no money. Because of a delay
in paperwork, our bank loan did not come through on time,"
remembers Nabatoff. "As we tried to piece together enough to
make payroll each week, we were constantly on the verge of shutting
down. Ray, Jason, Joe and I all deferred our salaries, and thankfully,
the crew hung in there with us until the end."
Shooting
for 27 days in the dead of winter at different locations off the
beaten path in Toronto, Carnahan and his crew spent 10 of those
days working primarily on the last scene in the movie in which the
mystery finally unfolds through a series of shocking flashbacks.
Set in an actual chop shop that, according to Nabatoff, hit 16 degrees
below zero, the intense scene was complete with actual grime dripping
from the ceiling that the production crew did not have to manufacture.
It was just one of the many powerful sequences that NYPD Detective
Todd Merritt, who acted as
an advisor on the film, says is "very realistic."
Merritt,
who has been with the police force since 1986 and on the narcotics
squad for the past nine years has been undercover himself on many
occasions, chasing down suspected drug dealers and junkies through
back alleys and the streets of New York. Today, he sets up drug
deals and sends in the team of undercover narcotics officers that
he supervises to make the buys.
"My
job as advisor on the film was to get the actor's head into the
game," says Merritt. "I explained the psychology of what
it means to be a narc and discussed tactics and body language. In
the end, I think the film as a whole turned out absolutely great
and I found it to be very believable from beginning to end."
Merritt
added that he also felt that the family life depicted in "Narc"
was right on target. "You see, most undercovers are paranoid
because, while they may be working from the right side of the fence,
they're doing it from the wrong side of the fence, and they think
that at any minute they're going to be found out. That has an effect
on their home life. In fact, I've seen a lot of wives act just the
way Nick Tellis' wife acts in the film -- scared."
The
issue of narcs actually getting addicted themselves at times is
also quite realistic according to Merritt. "An undercover will
try to talk his way out of having to ingest anything, but sometimes
it can't be helped. When it does happen, an officer immediately
reports the incident and can be removed from active duty for up
to a month. In the case of an officer getting addicted, it's different
from state to state. For example, in New York, an addicted officer
is immediately suspended and that's it," says Merritt. "But
in Detroit, where this film is set, they have rehab centers where
they send narcs who get themselves in too deep."
Joe
Carnahan, who grew up around Detroit, wanted to set "Narc"
in that area because his recollections of the Michigan city were
very dark, industrial and cold, a feeling he believes lends itself
perfectly to this kind of story.
"I'm
a big fan of classic 70s cop films," says Carnahan, "and
I wanted that gritty feel to the film. Fortunately, I had an amazing
crew to help me get the look I wanted. Alex Nepomniaschy is an immensely
talented cinematographer."
Nepomniaschy,
who lensed the critically acclaimed "Safe," which won
the 1995 Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Cinematography,
shot approximately 75% of the film with a hand-held camera, adding
to the film's edgy, raw look. He also used lighting effects that
gave the movie an overall grayness.
"I
wanted the film to have that roughness movies had 25 or 30 years
ago," says Carnahan. "Alex's magic really created the
world I wanted to capture."
Co-production
designer Greg Beale, responsible
for turning the locations in Toronto into Carnahan's vision of Detroit,
says that his biggest challenge was creating the set for the climactic
scene in the chop shop.
"We
found an actual warehouse that was used exactly for that purpose
-- to dismantle cars and sell off their parts -- then we augmented
the place with some high-end stuff," says Beale. "For
example, we brought in recognizable cars like BMWs, and we even
dragged in the front end of a Lamborghini. On the outside of the
building, I had scenic artists paint a bunch of graffiti, but not
just any graffiti -- we did research about the style of 'artwork'
local Detroit gangs use and we created facsimiles of their symbols
so that people who know Detroit would recognize them."
Music
Supervisor Brian Ross worked
closely with Carnahan to give "Narc" an undercurrent of
music that added a hint of tension and brought to mind inner conflict.
"I
went pretty out there," admits Ross, adding that they had two
ways to go, with big names or with artists on the fringe who were
not as well known in the mainstream. "We chose the latter because
we didn't want to detract from the subtle nuances of the characters
and dialogue in the film. While we did use three well-known artists
-- Tricky, Geto Boys and Busta
Rhymes (who plays Beery in the film) -- we also feature
lesser known groups like Corporate Avenger and SX-10, to add that
extra edgy rock feel."
According
to Ross, Carnahan even wanted the End Credits to give off a particular
feeling, and so he used a song called "Provoked" to go
over them. Written by the Baby Namboos and featuring Tricky, the
song is called "industrial/trance music" and it creates
a hypnotic effect.
"The
final song has a feeling that helps to create emotional closure
for the film," explains Ross. "It's not a happy song but
not bleak either, it's reflective. It's the kind of song that helps
you to think about what you just saw."
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