Brooklyn's Finest is the latest from director Antoine Fuqua. A gritty and violent crime drama set in one of the most notorious neighborhoods of New York City. The story follows three very different police officers as they deal with life as cops and life as people.

Tango (Don Cheadle)is an undercover cop working on a case to bring down the neighborhoods top drug gangs. But, he's so in deep that the drug life is starting to take over his real life. Sal (Ethan Hawke) is an immoral cop who's struggling with a growing family,his conscience and a house so full of mold it's sickening his pregnant wife. Eddie (Richard Gere) is a jaded patrol cop who's a week from retiring and just wants to survive the week.

The movie has an interesting premise. The story is told from three different perspectives. All three of the cops are working in the same neighborhood and precinct. They don't know each other, but they all unwittingly and unknowingly interact. It's a great idea and in a better movie it would have worked. But, here the characters and story aren't always up to the movies potential. The problem is that the movie is so contrived at times it's distracting. What saves the movie are the performances of Cheadle and Gere. Cheadle is on fire every time he is on the screen. His performance is great. The man elevates every movie he's in. Gere impressed me with his performance. Gere's Eddie is a cop who has seen so much and done so much that he just wants to move on. I have never been a Richard Gere fan, but by the end of the movie I was rooting for him. Hawke is wasted in a stereotypical and nonsensical role as the worst cop, husband and dad in movie history. He plays a piece of work and does a half-assed job of it.

What I absolutely loved about this movie is how much it captures New York City housing projects. I'm from New York. If you've ever been inside or even near a project in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan or Queens (we don't count Staten Island) then you'll recognize almost every location in the film. I liked that. The authenticity in the movie is on point. This is one of the most authentic New York crime movies since the 1970's.

I was expecting a much better movie. My expectations were high because Fuqua and Hawke were a big part of what made Training Day one of my favorite crime moives. I was mildly disappointed. Fuqua's direction has moments of brilliance. (There's a scene near the end where everything comes to a head and we leave a shooting victim in an apartment. It reminded me of Spike Lee.) It's just that the movie's so over the top at times it's too much.

And, I know The Wire ended, but do the actors from that show have to play the thugs and drug-dealers in every movie that needs thugs and drug dealers? Isn't there a union or something?

It's worth a watch. Especially, if you're from New York or the East Coast. If not, I'd wait for the dvd. 3 and 1/2 pitchforks. Extra half a pitchfork for the New York City authenticity.