***SPOILERS*** Extremely brutal cop movie that takes place in and around the crime and drug ridden Van Dyke Housing Projects in Brownsville Brooklyn. It's in those projects that the three NYPD cops that the movie focuses on end up under completely different circumstances in what turns out to be the most brutal and bloodiest scene, the "Van Dyke Massacre", of the entire film!
There's narcotic detective Salvator "Sal" Procida, Eathen Hawke, who's need for money has become an obsession with him. With a sick wife Angela, Lili Taylor, and two kids with two more on the way Sal has turned to crime in order to support his family. With a major narcotic raid, that Sal's to be part of, at the Van Dyke Houses to take place the next evening Sal decides to do it solo and get the cash, drug money, that goes along with it! It's when Sal's friend and partner in the narcotic squad Ronny Rosario, Brian F. O'Byrne, gets wind of his insane plan and tries to stop him is when Sal snaps and makes things, his raiding the Van Dyke drug den, even worse that they already are.
There's undercover detective Clarence "Tango" Butler, Don Cheadle, who's been put into the dangerous and unenviable position by his boss NYPD police Let. Bill Hobarts, Will Patton, to set up his friend who had saved his life in prison, where he was undercover, reformed drug dealer Caz Phillips, Wesley Snipes, in a narcotic string. Caz trying to go straight is the target of the overly ambitious city narcotic agent Smith, Hellen Barkin. It's Agent Smith who wants Caz busted in order to get herself a promotion that can lead in her becoming the first woman New York City Police Commissioner. It's when Caz is about to change his mind, with Tangos urging, and not go through with the deal that Let. Hobarts and Agent Smith had him set up with that the narcotic gang that he was supposed to make the deal with ended up doing the job for them!
The third cop of this "Trifecta" is the soon to be retire patrolman Eddie Dugan, Richard Gere. With only a week left for him to put in his retirement papers Dugan ends up losing one partner who was gunned down and another one who was involved in an unnecessary shooting, when Dugan left the scene to make a phone call, over a youth stealing a candy bar from a bodega. In what was the worst shock of all for him Dugan had his long time lover hooker Chartel, Shannon Kane, who thought of him only as a paying customer dump him after he tried to get her to leave the oldest profession and go live with him in the country!
***SPOILERS*** It's when Dugan, after being kicked out of the cat-house by Chantal, spots a young woman whom he earlier failed to rescue from her pimp that he finally got his "Mojo", or courage, back and attempted to do the right thing. This lead Dugan, who was now retired, to the Van Dyke Projects where the girl was being held by her pimp where both Sal and Tango were headed for for entirely different reasons!
As brutal as they come "Brooklyn's Finest" isn't for the meek or weak of heart. Overly long-133 minutes-for a cop movie and despite its pitiless brutality the film in the end does make its point: Crime doesn't pay it's those who commit, police & career criminals, it who are the ones end up paying for it! And in most cases, like in the movie, with their very lives!
There's narcotic detective Salvator "Sal" Procida, Eathen Hawke, who's need for money has become an obsession with him. With a sick wife Angela, Lili Taylor, and two kids with two more on the way Sal has turned to crime in order to support his family. With a major narcotic raid, that Sal's to be part of, at the Van Dyke Houses to take place the next evening Sal decides to do it solo and get the cash, drug money, that goes along with it! It's when Sal's friend and partner in the narcotic squad Ronny Rosario, Brian F. O'Byrne, gets wind of his insane plan and tries to stop him is when Sal snaps and makes things, his raiding the Van Dyke drug den, even worse that they already are.
There's undercover detective Clarence "Tango" Butler, Don Cheadle, who's been put into the dangerous and unenviable position by his boss NYPD police Let. Bill Hobarts, Will Patton, to set up his friend who had saved his life in prison, where he was undercover, reformed drug dealer Caz Phillips, Wesley Snipes, in a narcotic string. Caz trying to go straight is the target of the overly ambitious city narcotic agent Smith, Hellen Barkin. It's Agent Smith who wants Caz busted in order to get herself a promotion that can lead in her becoming the first woman New York City Police Commissioner. It's when Caz is about to change his mind, with Tangos urging, and not go through with the deal that Let. Hobarts and Agent Smith had him set up with that the narcotic gang that he was supposed to make the deal with ended up doing the job for them!
The third cop of this "Trifecta" is the soon to be retire patrolman Eddie Dugan, Richard Gere. With only a week left for him to put in his retirement papers Dugan ends up losing one partner who was gunned down and another one who was involved in an unnecessary shooting, when Dugan left the scene to make a phone call, over a youth stealing a candy bar from a bodega. In what was the worst shock of all for him Dugan had his long time lover hooker Chartel, Shannon Kane, who thought of him only as a paying customer dump him after he tried to get her to leave the oldest profession and go live with him in the country!
***SPOILERS*** It's when Dugan, after being kicked out of the cat-house by Chantal, spots a young woman whom he earlier failed to rescue from her pimp that he finally got his "Mojo", or courage, back and attempted to do the right thing. This lead Dugan, who was now retired, to the Van Dyke Projects where the girl was being held by her pimp where both Sal and Tango were headed for for entirely different reasons!
As brutal as they come "Brooklyn's Finest" isn't for the meek or weak of heart. Overly long-133 minutes-for a cop movie and despite its pitiless brutality the film in the end does make its point: Crime doesn't pay it's those who commit, police & career criminals, it who are the ones end up paying for it! And in most cases, like in the movie, with their very lives!