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Brother to Brother

EMAILPRINTWolfe Video

Brother to Brother reviews
57
9.6 User Score:

Mixed or average reviews

Based on 18 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 5 votes
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Movie Info

Genre(s): Drama

Written by: Rodney Evans

Directed by: Rodney Evans

Release Date:
Theatrical: November 5, 2004
DVD: June 14, 2005

Running Time: 90 minutes, B/W / Color

Origin: USA

Summary

RATING: Not Rated

Starring Anthony Mackie, Roger Robinson, Larry Gilliard Jr., Aunjanue Ellis, Duane Boutte, Daniel Sunjata, Alex Burns, and Ray Ford

This film follows the emotional and psychological journey of a young Black gay artist as he discovers the hidden legacies of the gay and lesbian subcultures within the Harlem Renaissance. (Wolfe Video)

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

83

Entertainment Weekly Lisa Schwarzbaum

First-time writer-director Rodney Evans makes a ballsy leap into historical fantasia, with heartfelt fervor outrunning stray moments of artistic gawkiness.

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75

Boston Globe Ty Burr

A very good drama about the difficulties of being young, black, and gay. With a bigger budget and a sharper focus, it might have been a great one.

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75

New York Post Megan Lehmann

An intelligent and entertaining exploration of racial and sexual politics that brings alive the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s, and draws parallels with African-American identity crises of today.

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70

TV Guide Ken Fox

Funny, sexy and very cleverly done.

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70

The Hollywood Reporter Kirk Honeycutt

Fascinating and absorbing tale.

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70

Chicago Reader J.R. Jones

With its black-and-white flashbacks and relentlessly earnest tone, this sometimes threatens to become a PBS documentary, yet its script is exceptionally fluid, tracing the tributaries of art, race, and sexuality that feed one's sense of self.

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70

LA Weekly Chuck Wilson

In movies, the young are forever being taken back in time by the old, but what sets apart this low-energy yet ambitious debut feature by writer-director Rodney Evans is the complexity of the questions that journey raises.

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70

Los Angeles Times Kevin Thomas

The film is studded with nifty supporting portrayals, with Burns and Ford (in his film debut) especially notable. But it's the rich presence and easy authority of Robinson that brings both a gravitas and a blithe spirit to Brother to Brother.

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63

New York Daily News Robert Dominguez

Evan succeeds in drawing a parallel about the lack of racial and sexual tolerance in both eras, but Perry's inner turmoil is nowhere near as interesting as the lively flashbacks.

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60

Variety David Rooney

The film's transitions between periods are not entirely seamless and its discourse often becomes didactic. However, the depth and intelligence it brings to issues of black politics and sexuality could help carve an appreciative theatrical audience in upscale gay and/or urban niches.

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50

Village Voice Jorge Morales

First-timer Rodney Evans's leaden script fails to live up to the poetry of its subjects and raises more themes--black-on-black homophobia, light-skin versus dark-skin prejudice, writers' envy--than it can fully develop.

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50

Christian Science Monitor David Sterritt

Interesting for its historical content.

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50

San Francisco Chronicle Carla Meyer

Fascinating context but awkwardly told.

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50

Chicago Tribune Ellen Fox

Ambitious but clumsy, it's a movie to appreciate rather than to be engaged by.

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50

The New York Times Manohla Dargis

Filled with ideas and some nice acting, particularly from Mr. Mackie and Mr. Robinson, both of whom hold the screen easily, Mr. Evans has crammed a great deal of thought and a lot of obvious feeling into his first dramatic feature.

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50

Austin Chronicle Marrit Ingman

This first dramatic feature by documentarian Evans is an important film but not necessarily a successful one.

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50

Washington Post Desson Thomson

Works far better as an idea than its execution; this has to do with the difficulties of making profound statements with limited budgets and technology, and also grappling with the still-growing sensibilities of an emerging writer.

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40

The Onion (A.V. Club) Nathan Rabin

Well-intentioned to a fault, the film packs a strange, ultimately unsuccessful combination of prurience and clumsy identity politics.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this movie is 9.6 (out of 10) based on 5 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Debra S. gave it a10:
Outstanding and oh so very socially relevant. Excellent parallel to the civil rights struggle. I intend to use it with my students. I commend the writer's courage at tackling intensely debated and emotinally provacative subject matter.

trent k. gave it a 10:
A good picture that holds up to the awards it has been receiving. Can't wait for the dvd release were I intend to purchase 2 copies.

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