Thursday, September 16, 2010

Brookylns Finest Remains Popular With The Masses

By Gabriel Bush

One of the sleeper movies of the year, Brookylns Finest, was released in March with mixed reviews, but that didn't stop avid action junkies from flooding the theaters looking for an interesting twist on an old story line. Due to the efforts of writer Michael C. Martin and directory Antoine Fugua, this film has made the list of one of the top cop movies since 1973 as well as grossed more profits than expected. Set in the 65th precinct of New York City's Police Department, the problems of living in the inner city all come to light in this well acted film.

Stars Richard Gere, Wesley Snipes, Ethan Hawke, Lili Taylor, Ellen Barkin, Jesse Williams, and Don Cheadle lead the cast through the trials and tribulations of daily life on the streets. Ethan Hawke (playing Detective Salvatore "Sal" Procida), Richard Gere (playing Officer Eddie Dugan), and Don Cheadle (playing Detective Clarence "Tango" Butler) work as the three principle police officers who must survive nightly terrors while attempting to curb the area's drug trade.

The film was shot around the New York area including Queens, Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the city itself which allows viewers to see the complexity of the area which makes up an urban center of this magnitude. Action-packed sequences keep viewers on the edge of their seats and are intertwined, and complicate by, the personal lives of the three key players. In one of the first scenes, two men talking in a car results in the death and robbery of one only to find out that the shooter was a cop.

In every profession there is often a fine line between right and wrong, but in no other career field is the impact of that concept more important. When adding the pressures of outside influences, life and death can hang in the balance. The many factors that can force decisions differently between people are the same kind that affect everyone, but nowhere is it revealed more clearly than in this film where law enforcement and personal lives must find a way to coexist. Whether one is suffering from financial worries, how to survive until retirement, or the complexities and pressures associated with undercover work, personal problems often affect decision making, but this takes on an especially important role in police work.

The story that unfolds is intriguing for various reasons, one of which it is based on the personal experiences of writer Michael Martin. The writer grew up in this area of New York and is written in such a way as to help viewers unfamiliar with the area, to appreciate the difficulty of living in this area. Although it was filmed on a modest budget, due to the fact many of the actors felt it was a story that needed to be told, their lesser incomes helped bring the film to completion.

The film was first viewed at the Sundance Film Festival in 2009 as well as the Venice Film Festival later that year before it was picked up by Overture Films for circulation. It has been met with mixed reviews by critics and audiences alike, so far, but has been praised for the acting and character development of individual cast members. Critic reviews brought the value of the film into question, but audiences throughout the world seem to disagree.

Opening in the #2 position in March 2010 behind Alice in Wonderland, it earned over $13 million dollars its first week. All told, box office sales total over $27 million in the US and $34 million internationally before it was pulled to be released on DVD. Ranking as #11 in all time greatest "Dirty Copy Movies" (1973-present), it has exceeded expectations on every level.

Brookylns Finest is currently #1 in DVD sales which indicates that the mass audience is much better than predicted. It is rated R for nudity, language, sexuality, drug content, and violence and runs a little over two hours. For those who love to live life on the streets through film, it is definitely one that should be viewed. - 40728

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