Brooklyn's Finest

2010

Brooklyn's Finest

Critics Consensus

It's appropriately gritty, and soaked in the kind of palpable tension Antoine Fuqua delivers so well, but Brooklyn's Finest suffers from the comparisons its cliched script provokes.

44%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 151

46%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 101,072

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Movie Info

Burned out veteran Eddie Dugan is just one week away from his pension and a fishing cabin in Connecticut. Narcotics officer Sal Procida has discovered there's no line he won't cross to provide a better life for his long-suffering wife and seven children. And Clarence "Tango" Butler has been undercover so long his loyalties have started to shift from his fellow police officers to his prison buddy Caz, one of Brooklyn's most infamous drug dealers. When NYPD's Operation Clean Up targets the notoriously drug-ridden BK housing project, all three officers find themselves swept away by the violence and corruption of Brooklyn's gritty 65th Precinct and its most treacherous criminals.

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Cast

Richard Gere
as Eddie
Don Cheadle
as Tango
Ethan Hawke
as Sal
Wesley Snipes
as Caz
Will Patton
as Lt. Bill Hobarts
Lili Taylor
as Angela
Ellen Barkin
as Agent Smith
Brian F. O'Byrne
as Ronny Rosario
Shannon Kane
as Chantel
Vincent D'Onofrio
as Carlo
Wass Stevens
as Det. Patrick Leary
Michael Kenneth Williams
as Red
Armando Riesco
as Det. George Montress
Wade Allain-Marcus
as C-Rayz
Logan Marshall-Green
as Melvin Panton
Jesse Williams
as E. Quinlan
Hassan Johnson
as Beamer
Hassan Iniko Johnson
as Beamer
Jas Anderson
as K. Rock
John D'Leo
as Vinny
George DeNoto
as Vito
Alison Cordaro
as Vicky
Francesca Carchia
as Lynette
Frencesca Carchia
as Lynette
Raquel Castro
as Katherine
Stella Maeve
as Cynthia
Gwen Stith
as Myeisha
Reilly Stith
as Myeisha
Joshua Thompson
as JoJo
Josh Thompson
as JoJo
Bruce MacVittie
as Father Scarpitta
Robert John Burke
as State Trooper #1
Jerry Speziale
as Captain Geraci
Sarah Thompson
as Sarie
Rodney "Bear" Jackson
as Suspicious Man #1
Cle "Bone" Sloan
as 'The Dragon'
Michael Pemberton
as Captain Jenkins
Zaire Paige
as Man Man
Gregory Young
as Wiz
Randy Eastman
as J-Mill
Thomas Jefferson Byrd
as Uncle Jeb
Alain Lautre
as Kid With Braids
Alain Lauture
as Kid With Braids
Joseph Adams
as Doctor
Alok Tewari
as Pakistani Man
Matlok
as Student
Zachary Fuqua
as Z-Man
Lela Rochon
as Investigator #1
Ed Moran
as Investigator #2
Isiah Whitlock Jr.
as Investigator #3
Leonid Citer
as Union Rep
Nicoye Banks
as Slim
Tobias Truvillion
as Gutta
Tawny Cypress
as Allisa
Jeanine Ramirez
as Reporter
Rosalyn Coleman
as Crying Mother
Paul Diomede
as Arguing Man
Diana Bologna
as Arguing Woman
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News & Interviews for Brooklyn's Finest

Critics Consensus: Alice Looks Great, Lacks Wonder
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Critic Reviews for Brooklyn's Finest

All Critics (151) | Top Critics (42)

  • All the actors are excellent in their portrayals of their characters.

    Jan 12, 2018 | Full Review…

    Ed Koch

    The Atlantic
    Top Critic

  • The drama doesn't just move between the three cops, it prowls between them, occasionally pouncing, and the film builds up quite a bit of tension.

    Jun 16, 2010 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…

    Andrew O'Hagan

    London Evening Standard
    Top Critic

  • An ugly, fatuous, macho piece of self-regarding, self-pitying nonsense about New York cops.

    Jun 10, 2010 | Rating: 1/5 | Full Review…

    Peter Bradshaw

    Guardian
    Top Critic

  • Strong direction and acting can't compensate for an insubstantial script.

    Jun 10, 2010 | Rating: 2/5

    Alice Levick

    Little White Lies
    Top Critic

  • Any movie that ends on a freeze frame of Richard Gere walking stoically away from a crime scene teeming with police car lights can't be all good.

    Apr 29, 2010 | Full Review…

    Jonathan F. Richards

    Film.com
    Top Critic

  • As directed by Antoine Fuqua, the film is well-acted, occasionally hair-raising but ultimately made from stale material.

    Mar 5, 2010 | Rating: 2/4 | Full Review…

    Liam Lacey

    Globe and Mail
    Top Critic
View All Critic Reviews (151)

Audience Reviews for Brooklyn's Finest

  • Sep 08, 2012
    Fuqua has fallen from grace since Training Day but sadly this isn't the return to form I was hoping for. the film is a mess of ideas and tries heavily to act like a Crash style of noir but falls flat in the end. the cast of heavy hitters are all well cast but they cannot do anything with such a weak script. Fuqua has the mood set but the actions of some of the characters border unbelievable which makes me wonder if he even took much notice of the script in development. what could of been a possible return to the training day world is flat and downright boring at times. the ending is a massive slap in the face and lacks any emotion for the lead characters. Wesley Snipes is quite good but underused in a role that needed much more depth so Cheadle's swap of loyalty seemed more real.
    Brendan N Super Reviewer
  • Dec 21, 2011
    More like Brooklyn's Worst in terms of scripting, overdone drama, and tension reaching way too high. It is well-acted I admit, as well as quite dark, but why does it need to be overly violent? There's no need for cliched characters in search for a bloodbath.
    Max G Super Reviewer
  • Aug 10, 2011
    I don't know why this was so universally bashed, it's really a great move and in many ways beats out its contemporaries like Crash. The main reason for that is fact that it doesn't have a single overbearing message that it's trying to convey for the entire movie, each character has their own message. I think Antoine Fuqua usually has a great style that he brings to his movies and this is a prime example of it. This often times has a visual style that mirrors each central character's tone, which I thought was pretty cool. Also, just from a visual standpoint Brookyln's Finest is extremely impressive. It reminds me a lot of The French Connection in that it has a realistic element that you can't quite put your finger on, but it's undeniably there. The story lines did a perfect job of intersecting; it wasn't obtrusive or cheesy, but gave you a feeling that this was just a massive city. The depiction of the police and criminals was really interesting; I liked that neither side was labeled as outright heroes or villains. (on a side note, I think it's hilarious that Richard Gere is rescuing hookers again). The core stories depend on individual decisions and morals rather that simple foreshadowing or having a plot that needs to go a certain direction. When the final climax finally hits, it's truly beautiful how everything works out. This is also strengthened by its performances; Richard Gere, Don Cheadle and Ethan Hawke all turn in extremely good performances. All of their characters are conveyed in a way that makes them feel like real people. The acting isn't overblown or drawn out for oscar season. Chances are, if you're willing to give this a chance, it'll probably be a really nice surprise.
    Conner R Super Reviewer
  • Jul 09, 2011
    The film takes place within the notoriously rough Brownsville section of Brooklyn and especially within the Van Dyke housing projects in the NYPD's (fictional) 65th precinct. The action revolves around three policemen whose relationships to their jobs are drastically different.Crude and violent(Fuqua's style) this is a good police movie.
    Andre T Super Reviewer
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