Brother to Brother (2004)

A drama that looks back on the Harlem Renaissance from the perspective of an elderly, black writer who meets a gay teenager in a New York homeless shelter.

Director:

Rodney Evans

Writer:

Rodney Evans

Stars:

Anthony Mackie, Roger Robinson, Alex Burns

8 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Anthony Mackie	...	Perry
Roger Robinson	...	Bruce
Alex Burns	...	Jim
Kevin Jackson	...	Isaiah - College Professor
Billoah Greene	...	Rahsan
Brad Bailey	...	Subway Grifter (as Brad Baily)
Brian Everett Chandler	...	Mr. Williams
Shantell Herndon	...	Classroom Girl #1
Ryan Michelle Bathe	...	Classroom Girl #2
Duane Boutte	...	Young Bruce (as Duane Boutté)
Lawrence Gilliard Jr.	...	Marcus (as Larry Gilliard Jr.)
Curtis McClarin	...	Black Man on Subway (as Curtis L. McClarin)
Michael Mosley	...	White Man #1 on Subway
Daniel Stewart Sherman	...	White Man #2 on Subway
Olubunmi Banjoko

Storyline

A drama that looks back on the Harlem Renaissance from the perspective of an elderly, black writer who meets a gay teenager in a New York homeless shelter.

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Plot Keywords:

gay | harlem renaissance | gay teenager | new york city | manhattan new york city | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Wolfe Releasing [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 January 2004 (USA)

Also Known As:

De Irmão Pra Irmão

Company Credits

Production Co:

Miasma Films,C-Hundred Film Corporation,Intrinsic Value Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Earle Hyman was originally cast in the role of "Bruce," played by 'Roger Robinson' in the film.

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Connections

Featured in The 20th IFP Independent Spirit Awards (2005)

User Reviews

Good intentions are not enough, not for film makers nor for critics

There is a strong and understandable tendency to over praise films dealing with or representing minority groups simply as a means of encouragement. It's all very well being supportive of a particular minority group, but biased criticism ultimately does nobody any good.

Countless of very mediocre gay themed movies have received disproportionate praise. With themes of being black as well as being gay, "Brother to Brother" is a perfect candidate for such slanted criticism.

Let me state clearly, that to my mind, "Brother to Brother" is in no way mediocre clearly having being made with much care and devotion. As others have pointed out, it's informative and educational in its depiction and discussions of the Harlem Renaissance about which not terribly much is known by the wider public. Rodney Evans proves himself a director and writer with a lot of promise.

However labelling this a "masterpiece" or "amazing" is to do a disservice to Evans. Hopefully he will go on to create masterpieces and amazing films but this is not it. "Brother to Brother" has much to recommend it. The performances are solid, the dialogue flows, the characters are interesting, and the cinematography is way above the average for a first time indie effort. For all this Rodney Evans certainly deserves praise.

With all the genuine will to encourage young black, (or gay) film makers, it's important to keep focus on the real quality of the work. "Brother to Brother" despite it merits doesn't quite make the grade.