MINI-REVIEW: McCanick

MOVIE
McCanick

CAST
David Morse, Cory Monteith

RATING
R

RELEASE
February 18, 2014 (VOD)
March 21, 2014 (LIMITED)

DIRECTOR
Josh C. Waller

STUDIO
Well Go Usa Entertainment

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 36 minutes







STARS
*1/2





REVIEW:

I'm still in shock that "Glee" star Cory Monteith is gone from this world.  He truly was a talented actor who was only starting to show his real chops when he passed last year.  The last film he shot, McCanick," only further showcased his talents and kept reminding me how tragic it was when he died.  Unfortunately, the final result of this movie isn't anything great.  There may be some things that are redeemable in it, like mostly the performances from Cory Monteith and David Morse, but the film overall lacks in a well-written script, developed characters, and a well-executed story.  "McCanick" may be Cory Monteith's last movie, but it honestly isn't really worth anyone's time at the end of the day.

What really drives the film downhill is how the titular character is written.  While David Morse does a fine job emulating this layered cop character, the way he's written is so overbearing and so irritating that you really can't side with him on any of the decisions he makes.  Instead of coming off as a devoted cop, the character of McCanick comes off as an obsessive and annoying character who I personally didn't care for all that much.  The problem with Cory Monteith's character, despite a really good performance, is that you never really know what to think of him, whether it's in the flashbacks that are scattered throughout the 96 minute duration or in the brief sections that take place in the present.  Plus the story itself feels like it's trying to have these inventive and clever twists, when in the end they come off as feeling forced and derived.  This honestly could have been a solid, if not, inventive cop story, but screenwriter Daniel Noah clearly missed the mark here.

I honestly feel that "McCanick" could have been a really strong crime drama with a well-layered story and some great performances.  Unfortunately, the overall ingredients in the soup are lacking in an inventive structure, strong character development, and some strong character-driven moments.  I admire the fact that the entire film takes place over the course of one day, and that I honestly didn't see the final 20 minutes coming, but that doesn't make an entire movie worthwhile.  It's seriously a shame that Monteith never got to expand himself into some bigger indie dramas where he could have really shined and possibly gone onto an Awards path.  He honestly deserved a better project to be apart of if he knew this was to be his swan song.  But unfortunately, this is the movie he had to go on.  Despite some solid performances and a better than average third act, "McCanick" isn't worth your time and will most likely be forgotten very soon.