Director Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) returns to the cop beat with another gritty crime drama, Brooklyn's Finest. Authentically shot on location, the film follows three seemingly unconnected stories of NY's finest. But hey, it's a movie -- so you know things will converge at some point.
Ethan Hawke (reunited with his Training Day director) plays a father who already has five kids and twins on the way -- and financial problems that make all the drug money laying around so very tempting. Don Cheadle is a detective that's been undercover for so long, he bonds more with a drug dealer (Wesley Snipes) than with the fellow cops that are trying to nab the crook. And then there's Richard Gere (Amelia), a veteran officer who's just a week away from retirement -- but just can't seem to go out quietly.
It's a bit long -- and may be too violent for some. And sure, we've seen movies about corrupt cops before. But Hawke, Cheadle and Gere are all so good at not playing by the rules that they save the script from being cliché. The tense plot kept my interest right up to the explosive climax. A strong supporting cast includes Lili Taylor and Ellen Barkin. [Rated R; opens tomorrow]
Grade: B
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