Brother to Brother (2004)

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

Good start, but then it gets ruined

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

BROTHER TO BROTHER will be added to the list of films I show my university class. THere has yet to be a film that so perfectly captures both the longing and the anger that informs gay American cultural history and specifically African American gay cultural history. Director Rodney Evans has managed to communicate the excitement and risk of the Harlem Renaissance and use it as a back drop for the challenges of talented gay African American artists now. This is imaginative, deeply felt, and lonely film making. For such a collaborative art form, this film has a wistful solitariness that hurts and heals.The cast is uniformly excellent, and the story is haunting. What a contribution Mr. Evans has made, what humane art he's given us. Eliot told us to "risk enchantment" in our lives, our art. This is just that successful risk.Don't miss it!

Unless I missed something in the screening I saw tonight, we had a college age kid get involved with a man who had to be at least 100 years old. The premise was a young sensitive black and gay student who's going through his own angst happens to meet up with a survivor from the Harlem Renaissance era of the 1920s. Anthony Mackie as the student and Roger Robinson as the artist/survivor both give fine performances and I was deeply moved. A lot of issues that they talked about are as relevant today as during the 1920s, although God knows a whole lot of history has occurred in the intervening years.After the film though I started thinking. Roger Robinson looks about 75 in the film, he was born in 1940 which would make him sixty five. But 105 would be a more appropriate age if we're to believe he was hanging out with Langston Hughes, Zora Hurston, etc. back in the day. I'm sure some other people had to realize that as well.In order to make the film more plausible, the writer and director should have placed the modern story circa 1980. That would have been more believable with the players ages.Still and all, it's a deeply moving film and one to be seen and treasured.PS. After writing this review I looked up Richard Bruce Nugent and found that he was born in 1906, died in 1987 and that he died in Hoboken, New Jersey.

I just saw this film for the first time last night on PBS and thoroughly enjoyed it. The plot, performances and the entire milieu were riveting. With the juxtaposition of modern and historical timelines I experienced the Harlem Renaissance as in no other film I've seen. Thnaks to solid writing I felt the anguish and confusion of Perry and the other characters. The screenplay made some choices that I might not have made but they were valid decisions nonetheless. I may be old fashioned, but I appreciate a film with a discernible plot, interesting setting and characters whose motivations I can understand and for me this film had it all.

Rodney Evans has introduced a film, portraying African-Americans in a light other than stereotypical displays of over-the-top flamboyance and violent citizens. Hooray for a "black" film in 2004 where men wear their pants pulled up to their waists and women have other problems besides their "men's"! It is clear Mr. Evans respects his audience enough to illustrate other ways of life in the black culture. Because each actor embraces their character with such realism it only serves to enhance the flashbacks in the Harlem Renaissance scenes. Thank you Rodney and cast for doing something fresh and not some redundant remake. It was also encouraging to see "non-name" film actors make names for themselves.