Wow. You know how sometimes watching a movie feels like being immersed in a different world? Brooklyn's Finest is like that, and that different world is like the twilight zone. It's just like our world, but there's something horribly wrong about it. In this twilight zone—called "Brooklyn"— everyone is selfish and aggressive, violence is everywhere, and there's a constant level of tension in the air. Talk about depressing. Walking out of the theater was like breathing air again for the very first time. It felt good
but what does that say about the movie?
Overview
In Brooklyn's Finest, "right" and "wrong" have very little to do with anything. There are no heroes and no villains—only actions and motives. The film follows the stories of three Brooklyn cops and puts their lives under the microscope, revealing the inner-conflicts that are broiling beneath the surface. Each cop is trapped in a figurative cage of their own making ("Be careful what you wish for "), and the over-arcing story is about their struggles to escape, and the consequences that follow.
Looking at the plot, the film doesn't follow any standard Hollywood formula, and it doesn't meet the expectations it cultivates in the first half. You might expect plot points to twist and tie together brilliantly at the end, but they don't. They get close to each other, but barely touch. The tension doesn't ratchet up and lead into an explosive climax. Instead it felt fairly constant throughout the movie. In a way, the film-making style is transparent and doesn't try to manipulate the audience at all. Everything just is.
Brooklyn's Finest is an exploration of motive and violence in a seedy culture that I'm not sure actually exists. If dark, pseudo-realistic crime dramas intrigue you, then give this one a try. Moviegoers looking for a standard Hollywood Blockbuster fix may be disappointed, however.
Cast
One reason to consider seeing this movie is the acting. The leads are all operating out of their comfort zones—Richard Gere is lacking his usual sophistication (still has a thing for prostitutes, though), Don Cheadle is thuggish and aggressive, Ethan Hawke is hardened and speaks with grit in his voice, and Wesley Snipes is, well not an action hero. They all succeed in delivering convincing performances that feel true to life, and I enjoyed that.
How to enjoy this movie:
* Expect to walk into a dirty world full of depression, prostitution, drugs and violence.
* Focus on the subtle character acting.
* Keep your eye out for what's "righter" and what's "wronger." You'll know what I mean after the first 20 seconds. The remaining two hours of the movie are all exempli gratia (cases in point).
Weak points:
* The plot's not brilliant and doesn't culminate in some amazingly clever climax.
* The ending doesn't entirely resolve in a satisfying way.
* You may want to take anti-depression medication with you to the theater.
Overview
In Brooklyn's Finest, "right" and "wrong" have very little to do with anything. There are no heroes and no villains—only actions and motives. The film follows the stories of three Brooklyn cops and puts their lives under the microscope, revealing the inner-conflicts that are broiling beneath the surface. Each cop is trapped in a figurative cage of their own making ("Be careful what you wish for "), and the over-arcing story is about their struggles to escape, and the consequences that follow.
Looking at the plot, the film doesn't follow any standard Hollywood formula, and it doesn't meet the expectations it cultivates in the first half. You might expect plot points to twist and tie together brilliantly at the end, but they don't. They get close to each other, but barely touch. The tension doesn't ratchet up and lead into an explosive climax. Instead it felt fairly constant throughout the movie. In a way, the film-making style is transparent and doesn't try to manipulate the audience at all. Everything just is.
Brooklyn's Finest is an exploration of motive and violence in a seedy culture that I'm not sure actually exists. If dark, pseudo-realistic crime dramas intrigue you, then give this one a try. Moviegoers looking for a standard Hollywood Blockbuster fix may be disappointed, however.
Cast
One reason to consider seeing this movie is the acting. The leads are all operating out of their comfort zones—Richard Gere is lacking his usual sophistication (still has a thing for prostitutes, though), Don Cheadle is thuggish and aggressive, Ethan Hawke is hardened and speaks with grit in his voice, and Wesley Snipes is, well not an action hero. They all succeed in delivering convincing performances that feel true to life, and I enjoyed that.
How to enjoy this movie:
* Expect to walk into a dirty world full of depression, prostitution, drugs and violence.
* Focus on the subtle character acting.
* Keep your eye out for what's "righter" and what's "wronger." You'll know what I mean after the first 20 seconds. The remaining two hours of the movie are all exempli gratia (cases in point).
Weak points:
* The plot's not brilliant and doesn't culminate in some amazingly clever climax.
* The ending doesn't entirely resolve in a satisfying way.
* You may want to take anti-depression medication with you to the theater.