Brooklyn’s Finest

In the course of one chaotic week, the lives of three conflicted New York City police officers are dramatically transformed by their involvement in a massive drug operation. 

Burned out veteran Eddie Dugan (Richard Gere) is just one week away from his pension and a fishing cabin in Connecticut. Narcotics officer Sal Procida (Ethan Hawke) has discovered there is no line he won’t cross to provide a better life for his long-suffering wife and seven children. And, Clarence “Tango” Butler (Don Cheadle) has been undercover so long his loyalties have started to shift from his fellow police officers to his prison buddy Caz (Wesley Snipes), one of Brooklyn’s most infamous drug dealers. With personal and work pressures bearing down on them, each man faces daily tests of judgment and honor in one of the world’s most difficult jobs.

During seven fateful days, Eddie, Sal and Tango find themselves hurtling inextricably toward the same fatal crime scene and a shattering collision with destiny, all of them swept away by the violence and corruption of Brooklyn’s gritty 65th Precinct and its most treacherous criminals.

Academy Award nominee Don Cheadle and Wesley Snipes

Director Antoine Fuqua (Shooter, Training Day, Lightning in a Bottle, Tears of the Sun) has a penchant for directing strong male leads.

Talk2SV: A constant from you is your ability to put strong male characters on the same canvas and have their performances work seamlessly.

Antoine Fuqua: Yeah, I think I grew up watching films more about strong male characters from the Akira Kurosawa films such as “The Seven Samurai” to Martin Scorcese movies or other genre films of the 40’s like “Public Enemies” and the original “Scarface.”  All those movies give me a heart beat because -- even in my own life-- as a director, I understand that energy and that urgency.   Also, that internal conflict that you have with yourself between right and wrong.

Talk2SV: I like that you punctuate the tension and pressure points between these men and the way it is displayed. Often in movies like this one, we see the violent construct but, there are moments when we see vulnerability as in the rooftop scene with Don Cheadle and Wesley Snipes.  There is very little physical movement but the scene is so intense, so strong. 

Fuqua: Most of the time with Don and Wesley --they are just so amazing actors; we talked a lot about the characters and their relationship.  I think that on those days of rooftop shooting, when Wesley first gets out of prison and they’re talking about family, the thing that I always try to emphasize with them is their bond, their friendship and how difficult it is for two men to ever say the words, ‘I love you.’ It’s just a struggle so men sometimes stand there and posture and in order to get someone to say we’re family and not make it sappy is really difficult.  One of the things I told them was to make it very, very real. Just make it all about how would you talk to your brother in a private conversation.  That is sort of the direction I would give them, that he was your brother, your family.

Talk2SV:  This film brings you back together with Ethan Hawke (Training Day).  Several scenes with him were so menacing when he used his face as an instrument to reflect all of the internal conflict, the angst, the pain and the evil within him.

Fuqua:  We talked a lot about his character’s spiritual journey: that internal ugliness that comes out.  We spent a lot of time together.  One of the things we discussed was that demon; once it gets a hold of you it slowly starts to torment you, you can see it on his face. The other thing was desperation.  That desperation turns into fear and that fear starts to play on you as well, all at the same time.  Then, what results when you’re conscious, wide awake and you’ve made a decision to do something that ‘you believe’ is for the right reasons. So, with Ethan, we discussed those things and those moments of ugliness when he was conflicted yet a good person.  He was doing [those bad things] for his family; he was a desperate man, but the greed and the desperation were taking over and he lost his way. He allowed money to destroy his spirit and his life.

Talk2SV: Is your directing style to tell your actors what you want and allow them to give you what you expect?

Fuqua: Yeah, I do tell them what I want. I tell them what I want, I explain to them what I’m looking for, I give them as many layers from spiritual, psychological, emotional layers of what’s in my head about the character. As much as I think an actor needs and, if he asks me for more, then I allow them to be the great artist [that] they are.  The fun for me is to wake up every day and have great actors like Cheadle, Richard Gere, Ethan Hawke, Wesley Snipes and others, always know I’ll be a little surprised because I just gave them enough to do what they want to do.  They’ll create something and that keeps it fresh for me; then I can take that and either use it or I can talk to them and say, ‘I don’t want that, I want the other thing.’

Talk2SV: We cannot end this conversation without talking about the women cast in this film. I was glad to see your wife, Lela Rochon, even if briefly, as a police investigator.  You have the strong female boss (Ellen Barkin) but there is also the always-available-for-you-whore (Shannon Kane). How do you bring together the roles women play in these kinds of films?

Fuqua: You know the role for Ellen Barkin actually was a man; I made it a woman because I wanted to show a woman in power, as well, I wanted to show that women were no different from men when you get in a power position. You have to play that game, you have to be tough, you have to manipulate, just like a man would do. And, just as guilty as men are, with the abuse of power. I didn’t want every woman to be weak and Ellen certainly is not weak in the film. Shannon is a young girl that was based on many cops that I know really well --who see these types of women-- but she was strong in her own right.  She was very clear of ‘what she was’ and ‘what she was doing.’ It was all business for her, which is why in the one scene where she kind of cleans herself and sprays perfume, I wanted it to be very raw.  I wanted her to kick Richard Gere out of her place because she’s not delusional, he is.  She is not a victim, he’s the victim.  So, for me, that particular role was there for that reason only.  Her character was just as confused as everyone else was that’s why we see --in her room-- pictures of many different spiritual deities because she was confused.