The Last of the Finest (1990) Orion/Action RT: 106 minutes Rated R (strong language, violence, drug material) Director: John Mackenzie Screenplay: Jere Cunningham, Thomas Lee Wright and George Armitage Music: Michael Hoenig and Jack Nitzsche Cinematography: Juan Ruiz Anchia Release date: March 9, 1990 (US) Cast: Brian Dennehy, Joe Pantoliano, Jeff Fahey, Bill Paxton, Michael C. Gwynne, Henry Stolow, Guy Boyd, Henry Darrow, J. Kenneth Campbell, Deborra-Lee Furness, Lisa Jane Persky, Patricia Clipper, Michelle Little. Box Office: $1.5M (US)
Rating: **
After 30 years, I remember one thing about the cop drama The Last of the Finest and it’s nothing to do with anything in the movie. I went to see it opening night at a Center City movie theater and they showed it with two of the reels reversed. It was the weirdest thing. One minute the characters are talking; the next, they’re making off with some drug dealer’s money. I mentioned it to a staff member on the way out, but seeing the reels in the right order wouldn’t have changed my opinion. Let me put it this way. Great cast plus predictable plot equals mediocre movie.
The Last of the Finest stars Brian Dennehy (First Blood) as Daly, the leader of a team of cops looking to bust a major drug ring. The team also consists of Gross (Pantoliano, Running Scared), Rodriguez (Fahey, Psycho III) and Hojo (Paxton, Aliens). Just as they’re getting close to making arrests, they’re ordered to back down and wait for the DEA. They go ahead anyway and get suspended for their efforts after the bust goes south. Their continuing investigation of the main guy Reece (Gwynne, Cherry 2000) results in the deaths of an informant and one of their own. Facing a disciplinary hearing for his reckless actions, Daly resigns in disgust and the others follow suit. Now civilians, they decide to launch their own operation to put Reece out of business for good.
At some point, Daly and his men come into possession of $22 million in drug money belonging to Reece and his superior Norringer (Boyd, Body Double). Now they’re faced with a difficult choice. Should they take the money and run or turn it over to the authorities? Either way, the cops and their families are in grave danger.
Because I didn’t remember a single thing about The Last of the Finest, I figured rewatching it would be like seeing it for the first time again. I figured wrong. I might not remember anything about the movie itself, but I do recognize every single familiar plot element. It’s all been done. Honest cops versus a corrupt system, drug dealers financing something bigger, cops avenging their murdered brother-in-blue and the dirty cop secretly working against our heroes (there’s NEVER any doubt who he is either). Not to mention all the usual shootouts and chases intended to keep the audience interested. I want to know how the movie expects to achieve that when it’s disinterested in its own story.
Frankly, The Last of the Finest is a bore. It’s flatly directed by John Mackenzie, the same chap who gave us one of the best British gangster movies EVER, 1980’s The Long Good Friday. He commits the cardinal sin of wasting a great cast on what’s essentially a made-for-TV movie with bad language. I always felt Dennehy had leading man potential. The late actor, who passed away earlier this year, usually played supporting roles. He did a few co-leads like F/X (w/Bryan Brown) and the criminally underrated Best Seller (w/James Woods). The Last of the Finest marks the first time his name and his name alone appeared above the title. He’s the best thing about the movie. He’s better than the material deserves. His character Daly is a tough Irish-Catholic cop with a family and a strong moral compass. It’s perfect for Dennehy who always came off as the kind of guy you’d like to throw a few beers back with at the local pub. He receives ample support from Pantoliano, Fahey and Paxton, one of whom makes his exit far too early. The actors work well as a team. The villains, on the other hand, are too inconsequential to even warrant a comment. They’re your archetypical drug dealers; sleazy, well-dressed types who always appear to be one step ahead of the law. HO-HUM!
It would be wrong to say The Last of the Finest is a bad movie. It’s not and that’s the problem. It’s not bad, it’s not good, it’s not anything. It’s entirely and utterly forgettable. I have a feeling I won’t remember much about it a week from now. It’s already fading from my memory, so I’m going to leave myself a little reminder to NOT rewatch it in 30 years. There’s no need because there’s nothing much to see here.
