Thursday, September 16, 2010

Brookylns Finest Remains Popular With The Masses

By Gabriel Bush

The just released film, Brookylns Finest, is supported by an all-star cast which was lead by director Antoine Fuqua. Written by Michael C. Martin, it takes place in Brownville's Brooklyn division which is infamous for its rough and often violent way of life. This created the perfect backdrop for the focus on NYPD's 65th precinct dealings throughout the area and one dreaded night in the neighborhood well-known as the Van Dyke Housing Projects.

One of the main strengths of this film is in the top ranked stars that chose to participate. Many personalities such as Ethan Hawke, Richard Gere, Ellen Barkin, Wesley Snipes, Lili Taylor, Don Cheadle, and many more fill the screen with talent and dedication while paying tribute to some of the hardest working men and women in the world today. We follow the lives, stories, and career paths of three officers played by Gere, Hawke, and Cheadle who end up coming together at the end of the show in a single location, but for very different reasons. The result is a night filled with terror and intrigue as the lifestyle of the area is revealed in its true form.

Although the movie is primarily based in Brooklyn, filming was also completed throughout the New York area including Queens, Manhattan, and Brooklyn itself. Through the eyes of the three principal police officers, the worst and best an urban city has to offer is presented and interwoven with complications in their daily lives which often influence decisions. The action and intrigue begin in the opening scene where a thug is shot and robbed which conversing in a car with another man. We later find out that the shooter was himself 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 writer grew up in this area and based much of the story on personal experience. As such, the story line has that quality of helping the viewer grasp the reality of the situation. With a modest budget, the importance of sharing the story with a mass audience was felt by many of the key actors, who took significant pay cuts in order to see the production of the film materialize.

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.

It currently is number one in DVD sales which indicates it does have merit as a film with mass appeal based on the acceptance by the general public. Brookylns Finest is an R rated show due to language, sexuality, nudity, drug content, and violence, but is one worth seeing for those with a yen for a real life action drama. - 40729

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