Watch McCanick For Free

Purely Joyful Movie!

Fresh and Exciting

Bad Acting and worse Bad Screenplay

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

Eugene McCanick (David Morse) is an unlikeable Philadelphia cop who has a bad relationship with his son and everyone else on the planet. He has no trouble lying to his partner. When Simon Weeks (Cory Monteith) gets paroled, McCanick is told to stay away from him which lasts for two scenes.The film consists of McCanick attempting to find Weeks through young male prostitutes, of which Weeks was one. The movie is told with flashbacks to amplify the lies of our main character. I watched the film not knowing where it was going through boring action and drama scenes, hoping the film would make sense and redeem itself. Unfortunately, once I had figured out what I was watching, I couldn't wait for it to end. Sorry. No spoilers.Not my cup of poison.Parental Guide: F-bombs. No sex or nudity.

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.

On the surface, McCanick is a simple story of a cop going after an ex-con who he has a history with. As the film progresses, the lines begin to blur, leaving the audience to question who is really the good guy and who is actually the bad guy? This film is notable, as it is the last thing Glee star Cory Monteith worked on before he died, and it was a definite change in direction for the young star. The story starts on Eugene Wellington McCanick's birthday, a happy day that should mark a reunion with his son, but instead marks a day where he learns that the biggest bust of his career, acquiesced killer Simon Wells (Cory Monteith) had been paroled. McCanick is ordered to leave the situation alone, but he can't rest while this man is on the street and McCanick goes looking for trouble. This is a very dark and methodical drama that really seems to have no depth whatsoever, until you see both sides of the story presented in flashbacks. David Morse stars as your typical tough loner cop, whose life is all about the job. The kind of cop that takes his job personally and will do whatever it takes to bust the people he sees as a threat to his city. When I think tough guy, David Morse is not the first person who comes to mind, but he has a history of playing both the good and the bad guy, making the role of Eugene McCanick perfect for him. He's paired with Cory Monteith, who as a teen heartthrob, has never really been seen as more than a sweet, lovable guy. Simon Wells is anything but sweet an lovable, as he's been severally damaged by a life on the streets, but the question becomes just how bad a guy is he? McCanick is the kind of film where everything seems to be laid right out in front of you, the kind of film where you're not expecting a surprise, but that's the whole premise of the film. The whole purpose of the film is to make you question everything you believe and it really turns into to something very unique and special. McCanick doesn't have a cast or a preview that screams out to you, many people are just going to skip it, but if you do, you'll be missing that special kind of movie that leaves you thinking about it long after it's over.

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..........