McCanick

I was amazed at the negative reviews of this film. I simply bawled.

David Morse acted superbly the plight of a man who is coming to know who he is and what he is capable of given certain circumstances. Only a man of conscience could react the way the lead character did in this film.

This is a psychological drama/thriller that keeps one guessing till the end and reveals the tragedy of the human condition with great poignancy.

Perhaps the secret that the lead was dealing with was concealed in a rather confusing fashion and made it hard to follow along but it is a ploy often used in the movies and doesn't take away from the core theme of the story. I cannot explain the core theme without giving away too much so I will just admonish viewers to take the time to watch this almost masterpiece of psychology if they have lived a little and are honest.

I have always enjoyed the work of David Morse, he's right up there, in my opinion, with Gene Hackman, Ciaran Hinds and a bunch of other character actors, who never disappoint. And Mr. Morse did NOT disappoint in this movie either. What DID disappoint was a disjointed script. It's also unfortunate this was the last film Corey Monteith was in before his untimely death. I had an okay idea of what this was supposed to be about, but that was only after reading RogerEbert.com's review, and IMDB's description. I even Googled and clicked on a couple of other "reviews," all of which rated this one low, and with good reason. It was convoluted and messy. I would like my 1-hr and 36-mins back please.

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.

McCanick follows a darkly twisted Philly detective throughout one day as he tries to find a recently paroled ex con. This film stars David Morse in another Philadelphia based role and the late Cory Monteith, both of which give very seasoned performances that really elevate this film. To start off, the story here, while it is entertaining, is very hard to follow. It is telling two stories simultaneously, one through flashbacks, the other through present day. While this has worked for films of this sort in the past, McCanick misses its mark here regarding a coherent plot. However, as a character piece, this film is absolutely terrific . David Morse as McCanick is very realistic and true to his performance. Morse is especially great in delivering a spot on Philly accent and making us truly believe that this man is a complete psychopath. Another actor in need of much praise here is Cory Monteith. Despite passing away rather recently, this film is bittersweet in a sense. The man proved he was capable of delivering raw and intense emotions, it is a shame we will not be able to see Monteith truly evolve and grow as an actor. Mike Vogel, another Philly native, gives a rather lackluster performance in a bare bones type of role. It isn't necessarily Vogel's fault that his character was underwritten, but he could have at least spiced it up a bit on his own. The director Josh C. Waller has created a great atmosphere for Philadelphia along with delivering a very tasteful character study but he fails to deliver in telling a story that remains coherent and is paced right. In the glimpses of the story that we do get, it is broken information, some of which is said and then never touched upon again. This happens quite often in this film. Despite a bare bones and jumbled story, the film works as a gritty character study of an obsessive cop. If only the story was elaborated on more or cut out all together and went the Bad Lieutenant route, either way there is room for improvement. The only thing that I did not like in this film was the ending. Without giving away any spoilers, all I'll say is it is underwhelming. Overall, I feel Waller has a safe place for future films of this sort. He directs with confidence, even if the script is a bit flat, he makes it work. The real people to watch in this film though are both Morse and Monteith. These two actors really give two amazing performances that are quite impressive. Morse especially carries this movie on his shoulders and runs with it, he's very very good in this film. Anyone who is a crime film buff, you'll really enjoy this one. It's a really raw and gritty thriller with a lot to offer.

I chose to see this movie (at TIFF 2013)for three reasons; David Morse, the brief synopsis in the TIFF guide and, finally, to see what Corey Monteith was capable of doing, outside of Glee.

This is a low budget film with a a deceptively simple story and I was only expecting to be mildly entertained. BIG MISTAKE!!!

Corey Monteith can ACT. Since I have never seen him do anything other than play a shy highschool football player with musical leanings.... I was completely blown away by his portrayal in this film. If I were to compare the difference between my expectations based on his Glee persona and his performance in this role, to any other actor with a similar, abrupt growth spurt of acting chops, it would have to be what Heath Ledger accomplished in The Dark Knight Returns. To be honest, I never would have expected this performance from him.

The movie itself is OK and it has a solid cast but Corey's was definitely the difference in the film. It makes you wonder what we might have seen from him in the years to come if only..........