Review of Brooklyn's Finest (2010) by Jack S — 15 Aug 2010

"Brooklyn's Finest" is about as dark as movies can get. The plot revolves around three cops, each of which is pushed to his moral limit. Richard Gere plays Ed, a burnout eager for retirement. He constantly reminds himself of the countdown and how close, so close he is to leaving the shield behind forever. At this point, he's already checked out, and therefore the last days on the job don't mean much. The other officers see this and criticize him for it. Ed contemplates suicide, and it's implied that he's done so for many years, but his retirement is just around the corner, so he keeps going.

He's supposed to be hero of the storyâ??we all know itâ??so the main conflict of his arc is how/when he'll grasp that essential heroism. The two other cops appear to have much higher stakes and darker endings. Clarence "Tango" Bulter (Don Cheadle) has been undercover for a long time; he is eager for recognition, a promotion, and ultimately a nice, safe job at a desk. The problem: he's getting too close to "the game." His best friend (Wesley Snipes) seems to be criminal with a certain code of honor, and Tango respects him. Maybe a little too much. Tango must decide whose side he's on.

The highest stakes lie for Sal (Ethan Hawke), whose character, story, and ending is perhaps the most tragic and devastating. Sal is a devout Catholic and a good family man, who loves his kids, his wife, and wants to do right by them, but money troubles lead him down a very dark road. He's been aware of mold growing in his house for years, though he's never been able to pay for it to be cleaned up, and now it's making his wife (who is pregnant with twins) very sick. Her health and lives of the babies are at risk. The doctor recommends that Sal consider moving. He already has; he's been stalling with a realtor for weeks. He just can't get the money together, and a low level cop's salary just doesn't cover it. But then an opportunity presents itself: what if he pockets some money from the police drug busts?

Each of the characters drives the conflict so superbly that the movie isn't anything but exhilarating. We feel for each of the three characters and want them to achieve their goals and maybe, just maybe, walk away with their souls intact. But it's tough. Ed wants to retire; does he chase after someone beating up a hooker? Tango wants out of undercover; does he betray a friend to get it? Sal wants his family to be okay; does he steal the money he can never earn? "Brooklyn's Finest" could've gone on for hours and it still would've kept us invested. The main characters just get deeper and deeper into their struggles that at times we wonder how they'll ever get out. Some of them don't. That's reality.

The music is appropriately pessimistic and brooding. None of the characters is thinking happy thoughts. Based on the way things turn out, the story must be a definite cautionary tale, but at the same time it's not. I mean, there's nothing the characters could've done differently. It's one of those lose-lose scenarios. Yes, depressing to watch, but most tragedies are. For a lot of people I'd recommend they skip this one, but those same people might connect with how desperate the characters are.

"Brooklyn's Finest" has a character-based plot, so don't expect mystery-style twists here. The story's also generally easy to follow, and it's well-structured with no gaping holes. But again, the focus is on the characters. Expect a lot of conflict and very little hope. The movie's also Rated R for good reason, so keep the kids away. They can watch this when they're older and have problems of their own.