Posted: 07/06/2010 |
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 Brooklyn’s Finestby Michael J. Nicholas | |
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Good cop movies nowadays are hard to come by. Great cop movies seem to materialize only once or twice a decade. ‘Brooklyn’s Finest’, written by Michael C. Martin(Sleeper Cell) and directed by Antoine Fuqua(Shooter, Training Day, The Replacement Killers), is a film that falls into the latter category. Not since Fuqua’s ‘Training Day’ from 2001, have I been pulled into a police drama that has engaged me with such a solid story, well written screenplay and excellent acting performances. In a nutshell, the story encompasses a week in the life of three New York City police officers. Sal(Ethan Hawke), is a NARC agent, always in the midst of big, dangerous drug busts which leave piles of dead and piles of cash. Problem is, he can’t resist the temptation of pocketing the drug money because he needs to buy a bigger and healthier, mold-free house for his sick, pregnant wife and two children. He also tries to justify his actions to his fellow cop buddies by saying they deserve the money, due to the low salaries and lack of respect they receive from the city. Eddie(Richard Gere), is just a no-frills, uniformed patrolman with a week left before retirement, following twenty-two years of service. The city matches him with a rookie as part of a training project that really doesn’t sit well with the seasoned veteran. Eddie also has lived a life of loneliness and discontent which causes him to contemplate suicide on a regular basis. Don Cheadle plays Tango, an undercover cop that has lived the life of a drug dealer for way too long in his mind. The strains of his assignment have caused his wife to leave him and the inability to have relationships with those who aren’t criminals. Caz(Wesley Snipes), the target Tango is supposed to take down, has also become a very close friend over the years, which is making the decision to take him down even tougher. All the lead actors play their respective roles almost perfectly, and even though there might not be any Oscars given out for this film, it would be a shame if some names went unmentioned at the awards shows. I’m not a big fan of Richard Gere, but his portrayal of a disenchanted police veteran that shows little emotion seems more over the top than some actors who try a little too hard. He really understood his character in the movie. Gritty and real are the two easiest words to describe the film. It doesn’t have explosions, lacks those improbable shootout scenes, but most importantly; spends half of the two hour plus running time on the private lives of the officers. Brooklyn’s Finest is definitely worth the time spent. Brooklyn’s Finest, from Millenium and Overture Films. On DVD and Blu-ray from Anchor Bay Entertainment. 132 minutes. Rated R DVD Bonus Features: Blu-ray Special Features: Michael J. Nicholas - a.k.a. Nicky The Note - reviews, opinions & life lessons. Got a problem? E-mail us at filmmonthly@gmail.com |