The Brothers (2001) User Reviews

Well-meaning, funny and original

[mattymatt4ever · 7/10 · 9 August 2001]

"The Brothers" is unlike many romantic comedies in recent years, which is why I'm surprised at the very, very low rating. A 4.3 with the majority of voters rating it a 1? I don't know whether people prefer the more conventional romantic fluff, which they're used to, or can't handle one that takes time for character development. And after watching the featurette on the DVD, as well as the vastly impressive commentary by writer/director Gary Hardwick, I've gained an even better understanding of the film. I gained a good enough understanding on my first viewing, but the commentary clarified everything.

Though the central cast is male, the film doesn't take on a mysogynist tone. We get the views of the men, as well as the women. And the dialogue between each sex is sharp and witty, unlike for instance the final scene from the filthy sex comedy "Whipped" where the dialogue between the females are reduced to chat about penis size.

The acting is very well done. I've never watched "Young and the Restless" (nor any soap), so I haven't seen any of Shemar Moore's previous work, but judging by his performance in this movie he has good potential on the big screen. He already has it made in the looks department. Some of my female friends wanted to this movie just because of Shemar. Well, he has a lot of shirtless scenes, so I don't think the women will be the least bit disappointed. DL Hughley is hilarious as usual. When has he not been? There's a great scene where he chats with his mother (played by veteran TV actress Marla Gibbs) at a nursing home, and she reveals that she was drinking while pregnant with him. The chemistry between them in that particular scene is perfect. Bill Bellamy (fellow stand-up comedian) is also funny as pretty much the philosopher of the group. He also gets the chance to show off his talent as a dramatic actor. On the subject of mother-son interactions, he has a nice, subtlely powerful scene where he confronts his Mom about her lack of showing her feelings around him. And in that scene, he begs her for a hug. Finally, Morris Chestnut gives another fine performance as a pediatrician/cassanova, who falls for one of his patient's sisters (the beautiful Gabrielle Union). Of course, I can't leave Clifton Powell off the list. He's great as Morris' father, who turns out to have a sexual history with Gabrielle.

Tatyana Ali showed that she has evolved as an actress, since playing Ashley Banks on "Fresh Prince of Bel Air." She has an amazingly commanding screen presence. Tamala Jones (from "Booty Call") is a good comic actress (and she's beautiful too :0), and has some funny interactions with DL, who plays her husband. That includes one where she refuses to (How do I put this in a clean fashion?) please DL orally. 'Cause apparently, "it causes cancer."

Director Hardwick modeled the four characters after the four sides of his personality. The Bill Bellamy character is a lawyer, which he is. And he has been married in the past, with the usual jitters when it comes to commitment (like Shemar's character). The movie is about friendship, commitment, temptation, love, honesty, all the things that go into a serious relationship. And it's done in a way that's funny and insightful. At points, quite moving. I like the dialogue. I like the way the actors talk like real people, and not actors maneuvered by the script like chess pieces. It all has a natural flow.

Not to sound preachy, but it's nice that every once in a while a film comes along to portray African-Americans in a positive light. How often do we see a film (directed by an African-American) where the central (black) characters are doctors and lawyers? Too often black filmmakers seem to adore subject matter involving young black males growing up in "the hood" and dodging thugs left and right. Is this really how we want black people portrayed? Better yet, do blacks themselves want people of their race to be portrayed in that fashion? Films like Hype Williams' "Belly" are one step away from minstrelsy, except minstrelsy was created by white people. And whenever a film like "Save the Last Dance" comes by, where there happens to be some negative black characters and it happens to be directed by a white person, guess which race takes the bad rap? I'm just saying blacks should make more positive movies about themselves before they complain to whites about portraying them negatively.

Now, my only criticism is the portrayal of white women. I'm sure you think I'm a racial activist by now (LOL), but I'm really not. I'm just voicing out my honest opinion. The Julie Benz character is portrayed as this subservient female who's supposed to get Bellamy (who plays her lover) a sandwich whenever she wants, pour him a glass of wine whenever she wants and do all these things, 'cause apparently white women will do anything a man tells her to do, as opposed to black women who put up a fight. Well, just like most movies about interracial relationships, we have the whole conflict, including one where Benz and Bellamy are confronted by his former lover (Angelle Brooks) who complains about white women stealing all "their" black men. Can't we have a film that comes along that treats the subject of interracial relationships well, absent of all this preachy bulls**t? And have a white women portrayed as more than a mindless ditz?

Despite that one flaw, I found "The Brothers" very impressive, very original, very funny and very entertaining. And I liked the song's theme "Love Don't Love Me" by Eric Benet. It gives the film a more upbeat tone. If you're looking for an escape from the conventional fluff of this genre, I definitely recommend this movie!

My score: 7 (out of 10)

Funny, Well-Cast, Relatable = A Quality Film

[TamPalm · 7/10 · 12 April 2010]

I can't believe this movie has received a 5.4 on IMDb. Ratings like that make me lose trust in IMDb critics. This movie is NOT a Tyler Perry, low-quality movie and VASTLY deserves a higher rating than a 5.4! Come on now!

When I first saw this movie years ago, I was impressed. As I've caught it recently on the cable movie channels, I realized my first impression was not a fluke. This really IS a quality film. (DISH Network agrees, it gets 3 out of 4 stars on their rating system.) Funny, but not slapstick. Great acting (I have to admit I was surprised at how well the cast did, especially Gabrielle Union who at the time was a newcomer and DL Hughley whose specialty is comedy.) "Real" characters, real dialogue. Good drama. Even some unpredictability. This movie comes across as genuine and broaches the issues of relationships and friendships and even family much more realistically than does say the self-prescribed relationship flick, "Why Did I Get Married?"

Even if I hate to (at the risk of adding to the unfairly low rating of this movie), I have to offer honest criticism so that this critique can have integrity. There were some parts of the storyline that were too manufactured and soap opera-ish (enter the girlfriend who just happened to date the father of the man she's fallen in love with) and other parts that were a little too cheesy for what was otherwise a realistic, relatable expose on relationships (enter the two main characters end up together after the overused "man begs for woman back after woman has 'moved on'). Other parts wrap up a little too neatly as well, as all the characters get their happy ending, most of the conflicted characters come around and miraculously see the light, lol (like the unaffectionate mother of Bellamy's character somehow realizing the err of her ways and *gasp* hugging her son for the first time and professing her love, or Moore's character suddenly wanting to be with the woman he just essentially stood up at the alter again.)

But those knocks on the film are not significant because the film at its essence is a feel-gooder. It's not deep, it doesn't offend, it doesn't make you uncomfortable. It makes you laugh and think a little and smile after it goes off. That's what it sets out to do and the mission was accomplished. You will enjoy your movie-watching experience.

7.5

Just above average

[jzwetsloot · 7/10 · 7 July 2002]

This movie is about 4 men having difficulty to make a commitment. It is always nice to watch a movie with mostly African-American actors because even though if such a movie is only average there are still several mighty fine women to be seen like Gabrielle Union in this case. Nothing memorable but not bad for a rainy day.

one for the fellas...

[chuckrules · 20 June 2002]

It's time for a movie from the standpoint of the guys....no more should we have to sit idly by and listen to the screaming of the women telling how like dogs we are rather, we should prove it ourselves...wait, that didn't sound right. The Brothers is an entertaining movie about four friends played by Shemar Moore, D.L. Hughley, Bill Bellamy, and Morris Chestnutt. The four men get together every week to play ball and catch up on either other's lives. Unfortunately Moore is threatening to break up the group by getting engaged. The movie then goes through the every day actions and re-actions of the four. Hughley is not happily married. He does have a child but his wife...won't do certain things for him, and as a result he threatens to move his senile mother in with them. Bellamy is the ultimate player who decides he can no longer stick with the "Sista's" because they are basically crazy so he is going to try other women...read white...to see how they are. Moore is trying to catch up to what he has done out of fear of getting older and being by himself and Chestnutt is commitment phobic and fighting with the revelations that have arrived around his new girlfriend who had seemed to be getting him over his problem. The movie is very well done. It jumps from star to star with no problems in coherent story-telling. The acting is quite good and some of the supporting characters are hilarious. The movie is packed with comedy and drama however it can be a tad vulgar in some people's eyes. Overall I really enjoyed this one but would place both Best Man and The Wood above it in terms of total quality.

Good, but not definately not Solid

[Headbiscuit · 6/10 · 15 March 2003]

I'll start off by saying that this was definately worth the rental price I paid for it. The DVD was great, and I felt very satisfied with my rental. "The Brothers" was a good movie that I enjoyed while watching, but when it was over I did not have the same satisfaction that I have gotten from other films in the same genre (such as "The Best Man" or "The Wood").

For one thing, I felt at times the script was dead boring, and humor was often not used enough. D.L. was a misplaced role for sure, his "humor" did NOT shine through, which was a major trip for the film because he was supposed to be the most humorous character. Still, enjoyable roles were played by both parents, as well as the solid performances by Morris Chestnut and Gabrielle Union.

"The Brothers" of the cast all went pretty well together, and the whole basketball theme was a good background. However, "the sisters" were not a very good combination. I didn't so much enjoy their scenes together. Also the rather random discussion of rejecting their... you know what, was completely out of the blue, and it was sharply contradictary to things said both before and after that discussion. Tamala Jones was bad in this role. In fact, I really didn't like any of the female characters in this movie.

The script was not very complete at times, and there were some very random emotional scenes from time to time, like the "I need a hug" scene. Completely unnecessay! The film is wasted talent in many ways, but it still came enough together to give me a decent viewing that I enjoyed for the price. I won't rent it again though.

Interesting that as I write this review, I consider lowering my star rating because upon mental review, there are many non-satisfying aspects of this film. Still, for this I'll stick with my original rating - 6/10

Yawn

[musiking · 7/10 · 17 December 2005]

When I first saw this movie, I loved it. I actually bought the movie in a 2 pack at Suncoast. Don't go there by the way, they are way too expensive when you could just go to a cheaper store. But I digress. I loved The Best Man. It was much better, whoever it was that said it isn't. Anyway, it is just way too boring. What gets me though, is that I loved almost every actor in this movie. The only one i didn't know was Bebe and she kinda grew on me. This movie was just too dry for me. Morris Chestnut was being generous because he was in this movie when it was independent, before getting picked up by screen gems, which really perturbs me. This doesn't compare to bewitched or any of the screen gems shows. Besides that, the movie really disillusions the trailer. I'm sorry I just can't lie about this lame movie. Big disappointment. I still love the actors and I'm willing to give the writer a chance.

Nothing special, but acted well enough

[Quinoa1984 · 7/10 · 24 March 2001]

The Brothers examines the lives of 4 men in LA, who deal with the tanglements of life and love, as 1 is settled down, 1 is about to, 1 is sliding along the date chain, and another one is with problems I shouldn't mention here. The film has it's flaws, particularly an ending that seems uneven from the rest of the film, but overall, it's allright. B+

Great premise, but.........

[xanagu69 · 5/10 · 23 March 2001]

As someone who is always pleased to see African-Americans depicted in a positive light in films that have nothing to do with drugs, crime, or violence, I was eager to catch "The Brothers". It seemed on the surface to be the male version of "Waiting to Exhale". The story of four Black professional males dealing with the universal problems of intimacy, relationships, and dating made for a unique and refreshing concept. However, compared to other dramas such as "The Best Man" and "Love Jones", this movie seemed to fall flat.

The acting performance of Morris Chestnut is really a standout here. Ever since his breakthrough as Tre in "Boyz in the Hood", he has really proven himself to be a great and capable actor when given the right material. His character, Jackson, seems to be the only one with any dimension at all. It's just sad that he hasn't been able to crossover and achieve the acclaim and attention that his "Boyz" co-star Cuba Gooding, Jr. has been able to do. The rest of the entourage, however, is not quite as impressive. D.L. Hughley, who is one of the funniest performers out there, seemed sedated and unconvincing in his role as the sexually unsatisfied husband longing for more "intimate" contact with his wife (Tamala Jones). When given the right material, Hughley can really shine and the role just didn't seem to suit him. Bill Bellamy, one of the most overrated comedians out there, really is the most disappointing. After watching his performance, I am even more convinced that he is just not capable of acting. I find many of his performances to be over the top, full of buffoonery, and well frankly, just not funny. His character, the obnoxious attorney who has complete contempt for women, could have been played better by someone who is funny but also someone who is able to create believablity and add layer to the character. Shemar Moore of "The Young and the Restless" fame seemed to hold his own with the rest of them, and does a decent job as the executive who is happily expecting to marry the woman whom he finally discovers is "the right one". The rest of the cast does a mediocre job with a script too bland to be memorable.

There are some amusing points here, but overall the film doesn't have many. My recommendation is 5 out of 10.

Props to the middle class "black" man

[gwitherspoon · 10/10 · 16 May 2005]

I agree with the user who said that the low rating of this fine film could be due to the fact that a number of white viewers are unused to the portrayal of black males as normal, upwardly mobile Americans. The black middle class is treated as nonexistent in real life and the focus is on economically and educationally disadvantaged members. That seems to be the image most Americans are comfortable with and find acceptable. There have been black doctors and lawyers for decades now so there is nothing unusual or new about these young men's careers or lifestyles.

Having said that, I'm glad to see black men portrayed in a normal, honest, and introspective light. We've all known young men like this but as females, we weren't privy to their private conversations. It is refreshing to know that they have worries, problems, and as many insecurities as their female counterparts and feel comfortable enough to voice them with each other.

It felt good to hear another "brother" chiding one of his friends for always referring to women as bitches, and pointing out that there was something wrong with HIM, not the women he was attempting to demean. I also liked the fact that Jessie let Brian know that ALL women expect good treatment and respect from a man and that she was no more willing to put up with his shallow, immature behavior than a black woman would. I don't think she was a ditz at all and she didn't take any mess from Judge Carla either.

Maybe one day soon we can have a movie about middle class black people without making a big deal over their race and view it as just a middle class "people" movie.

All of the "brothers" learned something about themselves and grew as men and individuals.

I thought Jenifer Lewis was exceptional in this part and I'm not even a fan. She was so convincing that I actually believed she was Louise. She was a strong, outspoken female who was a good wife and mother. She fought for what she wanted. She wanted her husband back and she got him too - and even got "ole boy" to have a second wedding at that! I found Jackson's parents relationship more interesting than his and Denise's. I was rooting for the mom and dad to get back together and I really didn't care if he and Denise did.

Nicely done...enjoyable

[vincentlynch-moonoi · 7/10 · 5 July 2018]

I have to admit that there are a couple of actors here that I really enjoy. But even beyond that, I really liked this film...both times I watched it.

Morris Chestnut is a long-time favorite of mine. There are times that he seems to mumble a bit...and I see that a little bit here...but generally his acting is believable. Shemar Moore...this may have been the first movie I ever saw him in. A good actor. Gabrielle Union gets my vote as the most beautiful actress in Hollywood...and she's good, although she's a much better actress now than she was 17 years ago. I thought Bill Bellamy did a good job here, although to an extent his character was not very likable. Not sure why I've never noticed him before. I like D.L. Hughley as a comedian although he's certainly gone wild with tattoos lately), but I can't say that he was able to keep up with the other actors here.

The story line was decent, although having four separate story lines was a bit too much. The story line around Morris Chestnut and Gabrielle Union was the most interesting, and could have been a film in and of itself. The story line with Shemar Moore, likewise, could have been a film unto itself. The story line with Bill Bellamy was clearly secondary to the overall film, and as a result got short shrift. And the story line with D.L. Hughley just seemed vulgar.

In terms of supporting actors, Jennifer Lewis (whom many of us recognize most from "Blackish") is a hoot, although I wonder if she is typecasting herself.

All in all, an enjoyable film.

The Brothers- Goes the Opposite of What It's Supposed to Say **1/2

[edwagreen · 5/10 · 2 January 2010]

Finally, there is a movie which is supposed to show black professionals without racism as they maneuver their way through meaningful relationships and feel dejection, etc.

While this sounds quite good, the picture soon falls into the trap of black stereotyping. Yes, there is Morris Chestnut playing a doctor, who goes for therapy sessions when he can't find and make meaningful relationships with women. D.L. Hughley reaffirms the black stereotyping of a man who married because he got his girlfriend pregnant.

Getting back to Chestnut, he soon discovers that his newest love once had a fling with his father. The latter is now divorced from the mother.

We have black professionals finding their way into typical black stereotyping by the profanity they use, the girlfriend of one going berserk and shooting up her boyfriend's apartment, and the divorce of Chestnut's parents. We also have a black attorney admonished by his former girlfriend, now a judge, because he has ended their prior relationship.

Why must the writers of these kind of films fall into the traps that they do?

One of the best black comedy's ever made.

[DunnDeeDaGreat · 10/10 · 23 March 2001]

Just walking out of this movie it made me think about how love is important in life. You can have a love life and still have time for your boys. "The Brothers" is a movie that combines elements of The Wood and Waiting To Exhale. The Brothers paled by Morris Chestnut(Jackson), D.L.Hughley(Derrick), Bill Belamy(Brian) and Shemar Moore(Terry) each have a quality that makes them special to the movie. Jackson is the commitment phobic brother who's scared to get involved with a women because of his parent failed marriage that is until he meets Denise played by the sexy Gabierlla Union. Derrick is the married one whose wife won't perform oral sex on him. Brian is the ulimate player whose can't find joy in black women so he turns to white women and Terry is a playboy who decides to go staright and marry his girlfriend. The movie is very real in it's portrayal of what black men go through when it comes to women. I related the most to Jackson though. I highly recomend this movie. See it with your girl , your boys or whoever. D.L and Bill steal every scene there in. Cliffton Powell and Jennifer Lewis are great in supporting roles.

A review from a prejudiced guy

[Ismaninb · 7/10 · 13 July 2008]

Being White and Non-American I am not very interested in black movies. I usually don't care about the characters and their typical problems, which are not mine. So normally I would have turned off the movie and go doing something else. It also helped that the other Surinamese channel showed Trigger Man - real crap.

The Brothers managed to capture me though. Not that I found the themes very interesting. No, the secret is the humour. The Brothers does not take itself very seriously. Pseudo-psychobabble was alternated with very funny scenes. Especially the judge, the ex of the lawyer, gave me several good laughs.

So today I don't feel like criticizing the weak spots - yes, there were several. I just have to admit that I enjoyed myself. Still, like almost all movies about friendship and relations, it's quite forgettable. In its genre it's good.

I'm not feeling the Brothers on this one...

[QStrum · 4/10 · 24 February 2002]

The Brothers seemed like a movie with potential, following in the foot steps of past relationship orientated films like Waiting to Exhale and Love Jones. However, this film stepped up to the plate and struck out big time.

Strike One: Unmotivated characters. The only character with a quarter of dimension was the character played by Morris Chestnut. The rest of the cast were a bunch of caricatures of successful men in the black community. What happen to the blue collar, hardworking black man who successfully raises his kids and sees that his children progress further in life than himself? Cynically enough, I believe that these caricatures I refer to were only created to aid in making up the two hours needed to tell such a story. The hit could've came from the writer/director's acknowledgment of great storytelling, realizing that the audience should be able to empathize with the characters, not sympathize. Poor character development and a fear of, how should I say it, "stereotyping the black community" led to the paper thin characters in this film.

Strike Two: Excuse me, but the antagonist wasn't strong enough. How can you have a great story without an overwhelmingly powerful antagonist. For example, Morris Chestnut's character is held down by his cynicism towards the whole idea of committing to someone, especially after encountering his parent's unsuccessful relationship first hand. He discovers that his girlfriend was dating his father and must decide on whether he should overlook such a thing or not. I didn't see how their love was tested. It would've been better if she had actually slept with the father and despite all that, Morris Chestnut takes a chance with her regardless. No adversity and no antagonist equals lame story.

Strike Three: Ha, ha, ha, that wasn't funny. The script was trying too hard to be funny. True comedy comes from an innocent attempt in not trying to be funny. All the jokes seemed staged and unreal, just like the monologues, or should I say dialogue.

It's unfortunate that African-American's must rely on such films to continue working in Hollywood. I'm sorry to say but these African-American films aren't getting the job done. We need more "Training Days" (would've been nice if was written by an African-American) to show the complex nature of Black people, instead of these shallow films about highly successful, almost flawless African-Americans who biggest problem is getting his wife to give him oral sex. Out of a possible 10 I'm being nice and give this film a 4.

Distracting film with some good moments but generally a frustratingly uneven tone

[bob the moo · 6 February 2006]

Four professional young black men have a strong friendship that has lasted through relationships and work – even if sometimes it just means getting together for hoops and then drinks at the club. Jackson has commitment issues, Derrick is married, Brian is out for bodies only while Terry is respected for his sexual exploits. So when Terry announces his engagement to new girlfriend BeBe it is met with a mixed reception – cynicism, disbelief and happiness. As Terry prepares for his wedding, the others are having their own relationship issues that will brings changes to all of their lives.

It is rare to find a film about a group of black men where the only clear sight of a gun is in a white woman's purse and is met with a black man asking it to be removed from his house. Such is the overwhelming force of gangsterisms, guns and machoisms in black culture that I felt I was almost duty bound to see a film that tries something different. However "different" is no guarantee of quality and indeed this film is frustratingly uneven and inconsistent. The basic plot offers a good chance to get inside the heads of four men (regardless of colour) and at times it manages to do this in interesting ways as well as providing some genuinely funny and reasonably realistic banter. However for every moment that is like this there seems to be two where it'll head off into sentimentalism, soap opera drama or outright dumb plot device. It is a shame because generally the film is distracting mush that isn't too sentimental but is still basic to the point where it washed over me – it was only these bad moments that stuck in my throat for one reason or another. The conclusion is suitably mushy and is a fine summary of the film – unconvincing, mushy, unlikely, melodramatic but still reasonably fun forgettable stuff.

The cast are mixed but mostly match the level of the material by being predictable and a bit unimaginative. Chestnut is probably the best of the cast and makes for a nice leading man – good looks, a bit of charm and the ability to say his lines naturally all help. Hughley is funny and, although he doesn't make a convincing character and is a bit of a caricature but is still fun and his scenes have energy. Bellamy and Moore are somewhat non-events, with the latter very wooden and failing to make an impression on me. The females are generally young and attractive but lack the material served up to the men (which itself isn't that great). Union is sexy but her character doesn't convince and she doesn't know what to do with it. Jones works well with Hughley but Ali, Dalian, Lewis and others generally just hang around with basic lines and no characters to speak of – Ali in particular gets nothing to work with and seems to be there just to draw a laugh from hearing the innocent young Fresh Prince star talking about her "pu**y".

Overall then a distracting and reasonably amusing film that has some good moments but annoys in the ease with which it just slips into sentimental melodrama etc. The performances are mixed and none of them really help lift the material to something that could have been amusing and interesting. Forgettable fluff that isn't bad but just generally isn't that good.

The Flip Side of WAITING TO EXHALE....

[Isaac5855 · 7/10 · 5 June 2007]

THE BROTHERS is a breezy, but ultimately empty flip side to WAITING TO EXHALE which chronicles the friendship between four attractive and professional African American males as they navigate through various problems regarding the opposite sex. Nothing deep or exciting here, but the cast is attractive and works to please. Morris Chestnut plays Jackson, the doctor who loves the chase but is scared to death of commitment; Shemar Moore is the engaged brother who thinks he's ready to settle down; DL Hughley is the married brother who is not getting what he wants in the bedroom; and Bill Bellamy is the attorney whose bad experiences with black females have led him to a decision to only date white women. Despite stilted direction and a paper thin screenplay, the very attractive cast makes this watchable. There is effective support from luscious Gabrielle Union as the lady with a secret Chestnut falls for and from Jenifer Lewis and Clifton Powell as Chestnut's divorced parents. Basically, the film comes off as a 90-minute rebuttal to WAITING TO EXHALE, but the attractive and willing cast make it worth a look.

A Good Relationship Movie

[qfal · 7/10 · 19 September 2001]

This is another good movie that explores the relations between men and women in contemporary Black America. I compare it to "Waiting to Exhale", "A Thin Line Between Love and Hate", "Soul Food", "The Best Man", and "The Wood". It is a worthy successor to these.

There is something odd about the user ratings for this movie. As I write this, 90 of 289 votes are supposedly a "1". In trying to look at the demographics to see what type of person thought the movie so bad, I noticed that these 90 negative votes don't show up elsewhere! For example, if you look at the breakdown by sex, it received 52 1-votes out of 194. A similar discrepancy is found in the breakdown by age and by nationality. I rate it a 7.

oh brother

[blitzebill · 4/10 · 5 December 2008]

can you say "booty movie"?

it does make for a nice rhyme, but this movie is loaded with anachronisms, chauvinism, and stereotypes.

the African-American version of Hollywood still has major issues with themes and portrayals that do not do justice to the potential that exists for the industry.

when Hollywood finally decides to provide equal opportunity for all filmmakers and actors, then we might see something that resembles a good film.

not that there aren't or haven't been good African-American films, but there's a lot of work to do.

United.

[anaconda-40658 · 8/10 · 12 May 2015]

The Brothers (2001): Dir: Gary Hardwick / Cast: Morris Chestnut, Bill Bellamy, Shemar Moore, D.L. Hughley, Gabrielle Union: Effective drama about strong bond by four friends that is threatened with evaporation by women. One of them is getting married so they assemble on the basketball court to discuss old glory days. Director Gary Hardwick brings great insight and creates realistic characters with depth. On the down side it is easily predictable where each individual or relationship will result in obvious conclusions. Morris Chestnut plays a lawyer who falls in love with a woman who had a previous fling with his father. Shemar Moore is engaged but has cold feet. D.L. Hughley is married but sexually frustrated with his wife, which sometimes leads to amusing moments particularly in dialogue. Bill Bellamy drinks because he is afraid of commitment but he certainly isn't afraid of an active dating life. They all carry baggage but their bonding friendship is their escape as they vent their frustrations. The budget is not overwhelming, which gives the film the appeal of a standard drama often made for TV. Beyond that the screenplay effectively details these characters to where viewers may relate. Despite its predictable outcomes the film is a detailed look at four lives and the changes they made and the friendships that draw them together. Score: 8 / 10

Very good comedy drama

[preppy-3 · 9/10 · 27 March 2001]

A comedy/drama about 4 black male friends and their problems with love and relationships with women. Nothing really new script wise, but this is 20 times better than the horrible "The Best Man" released a few years ago. The cast is good and attractive, the dialogue sharp and they talk and react like real human beings--not like something a writer created. Also this is probably one of the few black films which doesn't have a character on drugs (or dealing them) and also to portray women in a positive light (too many turn women into screeching harpies or dismiss them as "hos"). Also men and women are showing in various states of undress so everybody has something to look at! I actually left the theater smiling--how many movies can you say that about? If you go (and I really recommed it), stay through the closing credits--there are some hilarious outtakes!

Love game insight.....

[kenandraf · 10/10 · 25 March 2001]

This movie is very insightful regarding the subject of long term romantic relationships.It lets us peer into a good picture of compromises and sacrifices people MUST go thru in order for a long term romance to blossom.That is the only way.Love must be WORKED for.It takes effort and IS exhausting.It requires a lot of energy and time and it is totally up to the individuals involved to judge for themselves if the relationship is rewarding enough to continue on being worked on.Then the movie also deals with the issue of the finality of marriage commitments.This movie will only be enjoyed by people who are interested in peering into these subject matter.The movie forces you to think and unfortunately,the usual run of the mill general movie audience do not like insightful thinking movies.Also,intelligent African Americans are presented in the movie and unfortunately,the general run of the mill movie audience feel uncomfortable seeing intelligent,educated African American characters.It does not fit their narrow minded specific stereotype,thus giving their brains a short circuit of sorts.This is mainly why this movie is being unjustly under rated.Granted,the movie is not among the best all time,but it is fair for people who expect a peek into the love game,presented in a comedy/drama style,mainly through the eyes of young adult African American people.I like movies that give me insightful thinking presented entertainingly.And this movie certainly does that.The direction,cinematography,story and acting were all fair.The screenplay could have been done much better by adding more excitement and more visual setting/situations to add more power to the movie........

a refreshing change of pace

[utz_world · 10/10 · 26 March 2001]

No guns. No drugs. No drive-by shootings. Just a simple little flick about 4 Black men looking for love. I'll take that over a ghetto gangsta flick anyday! A very good and entertaining film. I recommend it to those who REALLY wanna know how Black American men really think...and feel!

Great all around

[Acuran6 · 10/10 · 18 September 2001]

I thought that this was a very creative movie. The storyline was realistic and the actors and actresses played their roles well. The one disappointing thing about the movie is the fact that D.L. Hugley didn't fit in with the other actors or the storyline. I'm not saying that he's a bad actor, but that just wasn't the right role for him. Other than that, I think that this was the best black movie that I've seen so far. Being a black man myself, I'm also glad to see that their wasn't so much profanity. I must see if your into the romance-comedy genre.

Fun Relationship Cotton Candy

[jbratter-2 · 9/10 · 25 March 2001]

Those of you who have seen "The Wood" or "The Best Man" will probably feel like you've already seen this film. However familiar the "Brothers" might seem, this foray into the men's view of relationships and the "C"-word (Commitment) is immensely entertaining, ever so slightly insightful, and just a whole lot of fun. The film presents a slick and highly stylized portrayal of the African American middle class world where the most paramount concern on everyone's lips is relationships, love, and more relationships. The film follows four men as they approach thirty and simultaneously come to terms with their respective romantic entanglements. In an honest effort to show all versions of this conflict, the characters represent many facets of a "man" in such a state - one is married, one is ready to get married, one is ready to be in a relationship, and one is a confirmed bachelor who desires to continue to be a player. Where the film goes wrong is showing perhaps too many sides of the story, attempting to give equal time to each "brother", their beloved(s), and their family life, thus making the over arching point that reasons behind resistance to commitment come from a variety of places. The jokes are funny and the production value is first rate. The script could have used a little help, but what script couldn't. In this case, most of the statements about "love" come across as cliches and slogans. The performances are mostly adequate. However, as the story tries to cover so many people, most of them come across as caricatures more than actual characters. Stand out performances are given by Jennifer Lewis, a truly under rated actress, and D.L. Hugley, who gives more credibility and sensitivity to his character than this viewer thought he was able. I gave it a 9 not just because I liked it, but also because I didn't dislike as much as I thought I would.

I wish...

[Constant-Reader · 10/10 · 25 March 2001]

The people who rated this movie as a 1 would have explained themselves. I liked it. The screenplay had some extremely funny dialogue, just ask the members of the audience I saw it with. Sure, all the actors looked extremely hot, Oh maybe that is why some people did not like it. It is like females disliking Bring It On or Drop Dead Gorgeous because the actresses were hot. Now I understand.