MCCANICK (review)

MCCANICK

Young hustler: All you cops are the same, dirty like an asshole.

MCCANICK opens with a brilliant shot of a second story window at dawn, an American flag waving quietly in the distance, as the camera tracks slowly but surely towards the frame until it reveals our hero, Eugene McCanick (David Morse). He is up before his alarm because today is a very important day for this decorated police officer. That night, after what should be a fairly routine day on patrol, he will reunite with his estranged son. It also happens to be his 59th birthday. What he doesn’t know is that there isn’t going to be anything even remotely routine about his day.

His happy birthday is short lived when he learns at the onset of his work day that a hustler he put away years prior for murdering a senator by the name of Simon Weeks (Cory Monteith), has been released from prison. Simon is trying to go straight but McCanick cannot let this particular convict go because of the circumstances behind his initial arrest. Little by little, director Josh C. Waller, reveals their past together and we come to learn that McCanick’s past could be his undoing if he isn’t able to keep Simon quiet. The chase is one and it gets very messy before it comes to an end. Monteith gives a brave performance that shows sides of his acting we haven’t seen before in what unknowingly has become one of his final performances.

Morse is very strong as an officer who is rapidly falling apart as the day progresses. In many ways, too many ways for my taste as it turns out, MCCANICK is a very typical crooked cop film but Morse reminds us that no matter how familiar the character is, there is always something unique that can be brought to the part.

Your turn!

How many sheep would you give McCanick?

[kkstarratings]