Few film genres are as worn out as the police drama. With cop movies today, you can usually expect the expected: clichéd characters, predictable twists and loud noises. And that’s why Brooklyn’s Finest is a surprise: Though it’s hardly groundbreaking, the film is engrossing in ways most movie of its type are not.
At first glance, Brooklyn’s Finest might seem like so many other cop dramas. It’s got police corruption, cynical characters and interdepartmental politics. Despite that, it works. The conflict is compelling, the characters are real. The film doesn’t reinvent the genre, but it doesn’t bow to convention, either.
Brooklyn’s Finest tells the stories of three New York police officers. Richard Gere is a retiring veteran who’s lost his passion for the job. Ethan Hawke is a desperate father who steals drug money to make ends meet. Don Cheadle is an undercover cop who’s grown dangerously close to the criminals he’s supposed to bring down. The three rarely cross paths until the end of the film, when chance brings them together in a deadly climax.
The cast achieves terrific results. Gere, Hawke and Cheadle have all done their homework, creating protagonists that are both three-dimensional and empathetic—no small achievement in a cop drama. But despite their success, Wesley Snipes outshines everybody as a drug dealer fresh out of prison, a close friend of the undercover Cheadle. Facing jail time for tax evasion—and with six of his last seven movies going straight to video—Snipes desperately needed to pull off a memorable performance. His effort isn’t just memorable, it’s unforgettable. Snipes is natural as can be in the role, giving a human portrayal of an archetype so often depicted as a monster.
Brooklyn’s Finest was filmed on location in one of the roughest areas of New York City, and it shows. Director Antoine Fuqua, whose earlier film Training Day was shot on location in Los Angeles, knows how to capture the gritty inner-city on screen. The film immerses us in a ghetto landscape that we’ve all seen but few of us have inhabited. Authenticity reigns from start to finish.
However, the movie lacks some bite. It’s certainly raw, but could have built to a sharper conclusion. The script would have benefited from more narrative cohesion. As mentioned, the main plots don’t come together until the end, and even then, only marginally so. Ultimately, we’re left with three good—though disparate—stories.
Still, you can’t find many better releases than “Brooklyn’s Finest†this early in the year. The film may not be essential, but it’s absolutely enjoyable.
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