| Roderick Usher |
03-05-2010 03:45 PM |
Brooklyn's Finest
I went to a screening of this on Wednesday (where I got to meet Magic Johnson, which I found way cooler than meeting Ethan Hawke, Don Cheadle and Wesley Snipes.) I've been thinking about it ever since. For transperancy's sake I'll let you know I am friends with the director and several of the producers on the film, but I'm fairly certain the following review isn't tainted by my relationships.
A lot of people will say it's some sort of follow-up to TRAINING DAY. Andd although it doesn't share TD's excellent narrative thrust, BF is a far more dense and complex film in which three cops face three separate crises during one week on the job.
While there are a few really bad cliche beats in the early part of the film, it hits its stride once Wesley Snipes enters the picture. His relationship with Don Cheadle's character is nuanced, pitch-perfect and the heart of the film. I'd love to see a stand alone film on this storyline alone.
Ethan Hawke gives his best performance yet and the Richard Gere storyline is really cool. I would like to cut a couple of lame scenes, but it's a solid, claustrophobic cop drama with some jarring violence. The location shooting gave the film a Freidkin-esque sense of authenticity that makes every scene throb with tension.
Heavy handed? Yes. Cliched? A little. Entertaining? Hell yes. This film feels like it could have been made in 1972 by Don Seigel. Good times.
7.5/10
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