BROOKLYN'S FINEST

Brooklyn's Finest

(Long Island, N.Y.) Brooklyn's Finest is an odd film for me to review. An ensemble crime drama starring an eclectic cast of veteran actors (including the welcome return of Wesley Snipes to feature films after an extended stint in Direct-To-DVD Land), Brooklyn's Finest started out strong. Very strong. As the various characters were introduced, you really got a feeling that their various storylines were interweaving and converging to an incredible climax. You knew things weren't going to end well, but for who? And why? And how? The tension kept redoubling until it was almost unbearable, but then Brooklyn's Finest committed the cardinal sin: it lost its focus and squandered the amazing atmosphere of impending doom it worked so hard to establish. Suddenly, the tapestry of the character's stories began to unravel, and you could feel the air being let out of the picture...or perhaps it was just me sighing at the missed opportunity of a fantastic payoff. Brooklyn's Finest eventually gets itself back on track (somewhat), but to tease us, cut us off, and then start up again like nothing happened was completely anti-climatic. And stupid.

But, I'm getting a head of myself. Let me do the usual storyline/character recap first: Brooklyn's Finest is actually comprised of three separate tales set in the eponymous NYC borough that slowly intertwine over the course of its running time. The stories are:

1. Eddie Dugan (Richard Gere), a lackluster beat cop one week from retirement. His career is exemplified by gross mediocrity and, as a final F-U from his rather disgusted superiors, he is given the unenviable task of breaking in new recruits during his last days on the force. Adding to his shame is that fact that his only friend is a hooker who, in addition to serving his carnal needs, also manages to listen to his constant whining without snickering. That's the power of a $100 bill, folks.

2. Salvatore "Sal" Procida (Ethan Hawke), a detective who, despite not being able to pay his bills or come up with a down payment on a much-needed new house, still insists on pumping out kid after kid with his equally dim wife, Angela (Lili Taylor). From what I was able to gather, Sal has 3 daughters, 2 sons, and twins on the way, yet he doesn't seem to understand why he can't make ends meet on his limited salary. Needless to say, the numbskull is desperate and has taken to doing hits and lifting dough from the crime scenes he raids, but it's still not enough. Wouldn't a box of condoms maybe 3-4 kids ago been cheaper and safer, Sal?

3. Clarence "Tango" Butler (Don Cheadle), an undercover cop in deep with the NYC drug trade. As a matter of fact, he's in so deep that he's actually become best friends with a known underworld kingpin, Caz (ol' Blade himself, Wesley Snipes. I missed ya, Wes!). After years of whining to his bosses for a desk gig (the duality of his current job has been wearing away at his soul and marriage for years), his prayers are finally about to be answered- but ONLY if he betrays Caz and puts him behind bars.

So, there you have three intriguing stories, each of which would make a solid film on their own. But when combined, they become more than the sum of their parts...at least, for a while. Eddie has his hands full trying to feed his rather apathetic policies to enthusiastic and headstrong rookies who think he's a coward while doing his best to resolve his own wasted career to himself. Sal's house contains mold that is killing his wife's asthma, making the illegal acquisition of the down payment money for their new home an all-encompassing need and source of stress. And Clarence is wrestling with the choice of betraying his best friend (who doesn't know he's a cop- how long has Clarence been undercover?!?) to give his career a boost and his sanity a rest. These situations are completely separate at first, but as the film speeds along the audience becomes privy to something that the characters do not: that these three men are on a collision course that will eventually claim lives. The fact that Sal, Eddie, and Clarence are all fully-fleshed out and wonderfully-acted instead of generic cardboard cut-outs creates a tangible atmosphere of dread once you realize what they're in for.

But, as I stated in the opening paragraph, Brooklyn's Finest drops the ball in the middle. The pace, which was like a locomotive charging at full-speed, is suddenly de-railed and the picture grinds to a near-halt. This just KILLED the movie for me. All that work getting you involved in the characters and their plights (I mean, I was literally on the edge of my seat for the first third of the film), and to throw it away like that...it's nearly unforgivable. Again, restating from the opening paragraph, Brooklyn's finest finds its way back and eventually barrels down the same apocalyptic path, but by then it's too late. The movie just wasn't quite the same.

Which is a shame, because Brooklyn's Finest had all the makings of a classic. It has an all-around amazing cast, and from what I read its leads even took pay cuts in order to get the film made within its low budget. It's also extremely gritty and realistic, and it's deft hand-held camerawork and moody lighting solidly compliment those sentiments. In addition, Brooklyn's Finest was actually filmed in the real-life areas it was set in, which helps its authenticity a great deal. This may not sound like a big deal, but do you have any idea how many movies actually don't do that? For example, remember Jackie Chan's Rumble In The Bronx? Yup, it was filmed in Vancouver. True story! But back to Brooklyn's Finest- I honestly have nothing to complain about, save for that 7-foot speed bump the movie hits halfway through.

Still, Brooklyn's Finest is well worth your time, if only to see some excellent performances and, more importantly, to imagine what might have been if it had managed to stay on course.

Christopher Boyle

March 17, 2010 2:10 PM Eastern

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