Vincent This film has a lot of clichés but it uses them quite well.The pace is quick, there is plenty of action and violence.The acting is good; Patric and Liotta deliver excellent performances are are convincing and believable.There is a very annoying and completely unnecessary three minute section where we are subjected to a baby screaming, and although this is believable in terms of the plot and it wasn't required, I am glad I didn't have to sit through that in a cinema. The relationship side of things isn't very convincing in general but it isn't very important to the plot either.The ending is good, it has a some predictable bits but also a little twist.

joshmclellan This is a perfect score for a few reasons. 1) I'm a big fan of dark gritty cop flicks. 2) Ray Liota steals the show here. Hands down. This is Ray Liota's best film to date. Some would argue Goodfellas and that is understandable. Jason Patrick's scenes are thoroughly intense and the opener is one to remember. Very violent, very graphic and dark. Plus great plot twists, ones you'll think you see coming and then not and then do! Liota is quite hefty in this, he gained 25lbs for the roll and just nails the performance. He really did deserved an Oscar. This is one of if not the best dark cop movie I've ever watched. If you liked: Training Day, Dirty, Payback...go watch!

kenzokeith This movie was as good as I expected it to be. It was raw, nasty and just violent enough. Both Patric and Liotta were totally immersed in their characters and it was directed impeccably. The fighting and shootouts were realistic (although the blood looked a little fake) and there wasn't one bad actor to speak of.The only problem I have is with a hole in the plot. If Oak is so concerned with Calvess' widow receiving his pension, why would he care that Cheevers wanted to pin his death on Eugene Sheps? It would have solved that problem. And he could still get his revenge on Love and Steeds later by killing them, which he came within an inch of anyway. The concept that Oak felt that Love and Steeds were responsible for Calvess' addiction and would only accept their wrongful conviction of his murder as suitable revenge is a little bit of a stretch.

cmoyton Beauty truly is in the eye. Yet another movie with a generously high rating for a film which personifies the term over rated.The film tries to mix a contemporary visual style more suited to promotional pop music video with the gritty low down look and feel of far superior 1970's cop dramas. The opening scene is engaging showing how Patric's undercover narcotics cop got fired from the force by means of an accidental shooting while chasing a suspect on foot, with clever use by the director of a hand held camera. Its all downhill from then on i am afraid.Rarely have i been more disinterested in a police procedural than this. The plot involves Patric being reinstated to the force in order to assist fellow detective, Liotta, in solving the murder of another undercover narcotics cop. There is much domestic angst on display as Patric and his wife fall out over his decision to join up again which is really wearing to watch.A tedious reminiscing conversation between Patric and Liotta whist on a stakeout contains the crucial information regarding the films "twist". This plot "revelation" at the films conclusion had me groaning in disbelief at how they couldn't even elevate this mundane fare with something more profound than this. During the whole course of the movie you never feel any empathy for the slain officer. His life story receives air brushed attention touching on corruption and drug addiction. Maybe you like the bursts of violence, or the visual style. For me i became disenfranchised with this after about 15 minutes never to return and thats what i really call criminal.