McCanick

Wow, what a rollercoaster, but one you ride after eating, so it makes you feel kinda sick, kinda bad...

McCanick (2013) is a wrong movie. It's all wrong since the beginning. All that keeps us pushing foward towards the end is the question: "what's his problem with Simon Weeks?"; and the answer is sour, bad and bland, mediocre at its best.

What I felt is that they went for a great idea of a plot, but couldn't make it happen right. It goes all shallow and unexplained until the very end, which, when it happens, just leaves you wondering why couldn't you just skip until the end and saved yourself the trouble.

The acting is OK, which keeps you going, but everything falls flat. Nothing to see here.

In Philadelphia, on the day of the fifty-ninth anniversary of Detective Eugene 'Mack' McCanick (David Morse), he learns that Simon Weeks (Cory Monteith) has been released. Captain Jerry Quinn (Ciarán Hinds) asks Mack to forget Simon Weeks, but Mack lures his partner Floyd Intrator (Mike Vogel) to chase Weeks with tragic consequences. In flashbacks, the relationship between Mack and Weeks is disclosed.

"McCanick" is a crime-drama with a messy story. The good thing is to see the underrated David Morse in a lead role and the young and promising Cory Monteith in his last work. Unfortunately the screenplay is not clear and the viewer ends the film without understanding the reason of the hatred of Mack for Weeks. The conclusion is also deceptive. My vote is three.

Title (Brazil): "Obsessão Perigosa" ("Dangerous Obsession")

Fantasy story about a bad cop.

Unrealistic plot, with extreme lack of knowledge of police procedures and investigations.

Skip it.

David Morse is a messed up bad ass cop and self declaimed bad father with a shady character in this film, which is one of those which keeps you in the dark, and slowly unravels what it's all about. Slowly we learn both what is supposed to have happened, and what really has been happening, and who you are to trust. this is no action film, but a low character story.

David Morse and Corey Monteith is both playing well in this low budget independent film, which is filmed OK technically, but the storytelling, as in the manuscript doesn't help too much along the way in a film which could have been so much better with a more strict storytelling.

It's gloomy, dark and sad story, with a great gloomy soundtrack well suited for the story. It takes time for the story to unveil and take a grip on you, and when it does, it's almost to late. The film is a character study of a cop losing grip. Such a pity the story doesn't manage to build up the story in a better manner. It comes out an OK film, rated mediocre. a pity, since the acting work put into it deserves much more.

In regards to Corey Montieth: I saw that the other review focused almost entirely on Montieth's performance. In truth, he plays a supporting role without much screen time (although it is an important role). He does an adequate job, but I was not blown away by his performance. I will say that he was completely unrecognizable to me, which is a positive thing.

In regards to David Morse: A underrated actor who I have always appreciated. He carries the burden of the film on his shoulders and makes it look easy. Morse has a way of being menacing and is absolutely believable as a cop approaching retirement age who can still scare people shitless.

The movie as a whole: A mixed bag. Rather than being the gritty character study that it wants to be, it feels like a ripoff of some other superior gritty character study. The dialogue is just barely off the mark, but enough so that it feels slightly odd. Some plot points are naggingly unrealistic (For example, the idea that Morse's partner could be unaware of a robbery/rape that occurred the previous night. Believe me every cop in the city would be aware). The camera-work and direction are competent but bland. Morse raises my score from a 4 to a 6.