Iffy for 16+
Violent, demeaning police drama too dark for most teens.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Brooklyn's Finest is an exceedingly violent police drama starring Ethan Hawke, Don Cheadle, and Richard Gere, with lots of gunfights and killing. It's filled with wall-to-wall foul language (including "f--k," "s--t," and the "N"-word), intense sex scenes that include topless women, and a generally negative treatment of women. The three main characters face tough decisions that end up involving murder and theft. No one is redeemed, nor do they learn lessons, and the film is actually rather hopeless.
- Families can talk about the strong violence in the film. How do characters react when other characters are shot and killed? Are they desensitized, or do they suffer? How does the violence make you react?
- Why are women treated so poorly in an atmosphere of crime and police? Why are they all either strippers, hookers, or working for drug dealers? Why is the strongest female in the movie, Agent Smith (Ellen Barkin), so mean?
- Sal justifies his behavior because he's trying to help his family, and because the drug money he's stealing doesn't actually provide any use for anyone other than wealthy city officials. Is he right?
The good stuff
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Messages: The movie's main point seems to be that New York cops eventually find themselves pushed into a corner and forced into making tough decisions that include stealing and murder.
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Role models: Each of the three heroes tries to do the right thing, but winds up going down the wrong path. Sal desperately needs a new house for his wife and kids (his wife is sick from wood mold) and undercover Tango does not want to rat out a friend. They both take drastic and negative paths because of these goals. The third character, Eddie, is involved in a series of ambiguous decisions, none of which seem to turn out well. The exception is his final act, which is desperate and dangerous, but which has a good goal.
What to watch for
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Violence: The movie has very strong violence throughout, including the rough and demeaning treatment of women and prostitutes. Almost every character has a gun and uses it on some other character, sometimes without consequences. There are also scenes of characters beating each other with fists. Constant yelling.
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Sex: Eddie has intense, graphic sex with a topless prostitute. (Oral sex is included.) Many other women, including prostitutes, strippers, barmaids, and girlfriends of drug dealers, appear topless. There is occasional crass sex talk as well.
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Language: A cornucopia of foul language here, with frequent uses of "f--k," "s--t," and the "N" word, in all their variations. We also hear "ass," "bitch," and many other words, including a few uses of "God" and Jesus" as exclamations.
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Consumerism: A Pepsi logo is visible in a storefront. The next shot shows some Pepsi on a shelf.
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Drinking, drugs and smoking: Drug dealers are at the center of the story. "Tango" is undercover as a drug dealer and Sal is a narcotics cop. Drugs are visible and pervasive throughout. Eddie's prostitute snorts cocaine. Eddie drinks both whisky and beer and has a drinking problem. Sal smokes cigarettes regularly.
Fan Reviews provided by
1
What is going on? by notconfused
If you want to preserve any form of decency left in you stop supporting this filth. When did police corruption, drug dealing, alcoholism, revenge, greed, murder, kidnapping, prostitution, gang violence, divorce, theft, and police brutality become Friday night entertainment?
Take this scene for example: "We see various instances of gun violence, including a man gunning down two men in a hallway: one of them, a bullet wound pouring blood from his chest, spits up blood as he lays dying; the other man, blood pouring from a wound in his abdomen, stumbles down a stairwell, leaving a massive trail of blood behind him, falls to his knees and begs for his life, but he's shot about seven times (his blood-covered body shakes with each bullet)." [BLOCKED WEBSITE]
Whatever scant hint of a message is left after being subjected to 218 F-words and non-stop blood, gore, and sex is not worth it. Someone has to stand up and say it
2
WISH I COULD HAVE SAID GO! by keatsgirl
This is a very well made multi-drama that deserves a good,tough audience. However,they messed it up by putting in way too much female nudity and vivid sex scenes. Totally not needed. Some movie makers are getting smarter,apparently not this crowd.All four lead males and the main supporting male were spot-on in their roles. And I am not even that big a fan of Gere or Snipes. Hawke is golden. Cheadle is one of my favorites in contemporary films anyways...but even an objective fan would say he was wonderful. These men's stories were good material. It is a rough watch that gets your heart and mind churning. SADLY THOUGH, I WOULD NOT BE A CONSCIENTIOUS REVIEWER IF I RECOMMEND SEEING IT: DUE TO PORNOGRAPHY. I wont spend more money on it! . Hope you don't either.
3
Five Word Review by nessa918
BORING, COOL CLIMAX ENDING SUCKED
1
DON'T BOTHER!! by chubbychick
If I wanted to watch explicit sex scenes I would rent a porn and I would certainly not bring my teenage kids along to watch!!! The sex scenes are where they put all the "fine detail" in to........the rest of the movie was sooooo disappointing!!! I couldn't wait to see this show because of the cast that was in it and it has potential but man was the ball dropped on this one =( Don't bother!!
1
GRIPPING,EMOTIONAL,RIVETING AND DELIICIOUS ACTING......... by lovestalentmoviefan
....UNFORTUNATELY I HAVE TO SAY OH NO BECAUSE,I GUESS NOT BEING SECURE ENOUGH IN HIS WORK,THE DIRECTORHAD TO ADD EXPLICIT SEX SCENES AND TOO MUCH NUDITY THAT DEFINITELY WERE NOT NEEDED. NOW I CAN'T RECOMMEND THIS TO PEOPLE WHO ENJOY A MOVIE THAT HAD WRITING TALENT AND REAL MOVIE MAKING,RATHER THAN JUST "STUNNING VISUALS" TO MAKE IT A MOVIE.WHAT A SHAME.IT IS AN AWESOME MOVIE OTHERWISE
1
Not my kind of movie At All! by Peas
Let me start by saying that my review might not be entirely fair, seeing as I walked out before the movie finished - but I suppose that speaks for itself as well. I would say I stayed for about 1 hr and 45 mins, and if it wasn't for my brother I would have left much sooner.
I usually Love a good cop/crime movie...but this was not what I was expecting. It seemed like every second word was F#@$ or Mother F%$#@. There was A lot of violence and all scenes were either very angry, depressing or disturbing - and by disturbing I mean Richard Gere sex scenes with a girl/prostitute half his age talking dirty and perverted...it was just wrong.
The story follows 3 different cops, so you are essentially following 3 different stories, and up to the point I left, there was seemingly no connection (yet) between the 3, and nothing of any consequence had really happened - just a lot of cussing, fighting, and street life portrayals.
1
GREAT FILM...sex and nudity bring rating down! by LTMF 2
Pretend that director had a sense of decency and did not include graphic and unneeded pornography,and you have a dynamic,disturbing and realistic trio of good cop/bad cop stories that portray the gray areas and the fact that law,order,loyalty and justice aren't always so cut and dried. I do realize that my review grade is bad,but for a good reason. I don't get the bad reviews in the main. The pieces in the lives of these cops have been very well thought out,complete with nuances,as well as facts. They are hard,gritty,and acted out with heart and fervor. Sometimes I wonder if the average movie goers tastes have been dummed down to awesome special effects,raunchy jokes and trite,spoonfed material. I was not happy or excited when I left,but empathetic,moved and impressed with the hard work. If only Mr.Fuqua (sp?) had enough cojones to realize this was good material without multiple pairs of breasts,a strip club and a prostitute in action. None of these added one bit,but hurt sales
1
Brookyn's Finest by learnfromme
It was nothing fine about this movie. This movie was slow and monotone. In fact, it was so awful you will never connect with any of the characters. There was no good guys or bad guys; it was just a bunch of guys with well known names and faces. Movies should be just like any other purchase, it you are dissatisfied and obviously I was, you should be entitled to at least some of your money back. Please I'm begging you my fellow movie goers, learn from my mistake. We have to look out for each other because it's obvious the industry cares less about quality; more about names, and nothing about the fans. Moms and dads do not go to this movie with your children of any age.
2
Cops gone bad with the ugly under belly scene of NYC - Several storylines going on at once - Slow Moving by critcallyme
The movie moved slowly. It had a lot of violence, nudity, sex acts and vulgar language. It took you through the lives of several cops -all bad - at the same time (similar to Crash). It is definately not a movie to watch if you want to be entertained. It may score points with the critics.
The actors did okay but the story was extremly slow moving and it felt like it would never end.
5
Brooklyns finest by dmnplank
Very good movie from start to finish