The film uses the contrasts created by the fact that - in this case - two brothers choose opposite sides of the law.
We're in Brooklyn, New York and Bobby Green (Joaquin Phoenix) is a manager of a succesful nightclub often frequented by Russian 'gangsters' and a drug lord by the name of Vadim Nezhinski (Alex Veadov). The club is also owned by Vadim's uncle.
Bobby's father is a police deputy chief - Burt Grusinsky (Robert Duvall) and his brother Joseph (Mark Wahlberg) is a police captain.
The police hasn't succeeded in hunting Vadim down and all of a sudden the latter strikes back, shooting Joseph who survives but is hospitalized for four months.
During this time Bobby visits his brother and becomes aware of the fact that blood is thicker than water (not always, God knows).
Bobby decides to work under cover in order to help his father and the other police men in capturing Vadim and his uncle.
During an attempt to protect Bobby and his girlfriend, the police convoy in which they are transported is attacked and Bobby's and Joseph's father is killed.
Bobby now decides to join the police force officially and during a last raid against Vadim and his gang Joseph is unable to continue, due to the memories of his fathers death whereby Bobby goes into a building and kills Vadim.
After this Bobby continues within the police force as a patroling officer but Joseph changes into the administrative department, still being strongly influenced by the death of his father and wanting to spend more time with his family.
This film could well be built on a 'true story' even though there are more 'action' and less administrative work in this film compared to the 'real life', perhaps.
On the other hand the struggle between the police and criminals contains at least as much violence as this film and often more. Reality is always worse than fiction, seldom better!
It's quite a habile film and one can feel the conflicts within the family, within the criminal gangs and the rivalry there but in this film it all ends well for the less bad guys(?).
We're in Brooklyn, New York and Bobby Green (Joaquin Phoenix) is a manager of a succesful nightclub often frequented by Russian 'gangsters' and a drug lord by the name of Vadim Nezhinski (Alex Veadov). The club is also owned by Vadim's uncle.
Bobby's father is a police deputy chief - Burt Grusinsky (Robert Duvall) and his brother Joseph (Mark Wahlberg) is a police captain.
The police hasn't succeeded in hunting Vadim down and all of a sudden the latter strikes back, shooting Joseph who survives but is hospitalized for four months.
During this time Bobby visits his brother and becomes aware of the fact that blood is thicker than water (not always, God knows).
Bobby decides to work under cover in order to help his father and the other police men in capturing Vadim and his uncle.
During an attempt to protect Bobby and his girlfriend, the police convoy in which they are transported is attacked and Bobby's and Joseph's father is killed.
Bobby now decides to join the police force officially and during a last raid against Vadim and his gang Joseph is unable to continue, due to the memories of his fathers death whereby Bobby goes into a building and kills Vadim.
After this Bobby continues within the police force as a patroling officer but Joseph changes into the administrative department, still being strongly influenced by the death of his father and wanting to spend more time with his family.
This film could well be built on a 'true story' even though there are more 'action' and less administrative work in this film compared to the 'real life', perhaps.
On the other hand the struggle between the police and criminals contains at least as much violence as this film and often more. Reality is always worse than fiction, seldom better!
It's quite a habile film and one can feel the conflicts within the family, within the criminal gangs and the rivalry there but in this film it all ends well for the less bad guys(?).
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