Review: BROOKLYN’S FINEST

There never seems to be a shortage of movies about cops and crime, which is fine, because it’s certainly a popular theme in a broad array of entertainment media. BROOKLYN’S FINEST is the newest addition to that lengthy repertoire of genre film. The film is directed by Antoine Fuqua (TRAINING DAY) and stars a hefty short list of veteran acting talent.

Richard Gere (AMELIA) plays Eddie Dugan, a 22-year veteran of the police force with only seven days to his retirement. Dugan has grown apathetic from his years of witnessing that the archetypes of good and bad are mostly gray area and very seldom black and white. Expecting to coast through his last few miserable days on the job, Dugan’s plans are thrown into chaos when the brass attaches him to a new project, chaperoning rookies through the toughest, most crime-infested projects of Brooklyn.

Ethan Hawke (ARMORED) plays Sal, leader of a Brooklyn SWAT team that frequently raids drugs operations within the decrepit Brooklyn projects. He tries to be a good cop, but with his three existing kids and his wife (Lili Taylor) pregnant with twins, Sal comes to the eye-opening realization that he can’t provide for his family the way he needs on a cop’s salary. Torn between his duty to the force and his duty to his family, Sal wanders down a dangerous rabbit hole, gradually spiraling out of control as his sense of right and wrong become blurred and heavily distorted.

Don Cheadle (TRAITOR) plays Tango, an officer working deep undercover as the leader of a major drug operation in the projects. Tango has been working undercover, living the gritty, dangerous life of a criminal for several years and his personal life has greatly suffered. Tango begins to lose his patience and drive, demanding that Lt. Hobarts (Will Patton) give him his life back and promote him to Detective First Class as compensation for the sacrifices he has made.

BROOKLYN’S FINEST is a fairly solid and entertaining crime drama, filled with a decent share of suspense and intertwining story arcs. The story itself is relatively familiar, drawing on similar themes as CRASH and TRAFFIC. The pace of the film suffers just a bit from the slightly elongated running time of 140 minutes, but otherwise manages to hold the viewer’s attention respectably.

While the film itself scores slightly above average, BROOKLYN’S FINEST is a film carried by the performances. Gere delivers a somber, somewhat frightening portrayal of a man on the edge, with nothing to lose, whose seemingly calm composure may slip at any moment. His story includes an intimate relationship with a prostitute, giving the audience a glimpse of what PRETTY WOMAN could and should have been.

Don Cheadle shines as usual, portraying a man struggling with his commitment to his mission and his sense of debt to Casanova “Caz” Phillips, played by Wesley Snipes. Caz is a criminal recently released by appeal after serving eight years, but Tango and Caz have a past that presents a conflict of interest for Tango when those who hold the key to his promotion order Tango to bring down Caz along with the drug operation. Cheadle’s performance is intense and suppressed, illustrating Tango as the man teetering on the fence of two loyalties.

Ethan Hawke, an actor who seems to be very comfortable in the role of bad cop, displays intensity on the job that is chilling, especially when countered by his endearing love for his family and devotion to doing what he feels is right and just, even after that devotion becomes corrupted. Hawke’s performance recalls hints of Harvey Keitel from THE BAD LIEUTENANT.

BROOKLYN’S FINEST has enough meat on its bones to make it worth the ticket price, especially for those keen on the cop drama genre. Similar to many other films of the past decade or two, the separate story arcs eventually converge in a climactic, if not convenient, ending that asks a lot of the viewer’s suspension of disbelief. Even with that, its still an entertaining movie.

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 stars