jamesatlga Review of Brother to Brother

Brother to Brother (2004)

This was a masterpiece; first of it's kind

[10/10 · 10 January 2005]

This is the only movie that deals with the black gay experience in such an honest way. It is controversial and some may be offended by the subject matter or may feel that it is to 'urban'. I don't think the director intended for there to be any closure but wanted the audience to feel that the black gay experience is ever changing and complex. There were no villains or heroes in this movie - just regular people living life and trying to figure out which path to take. I guess the reason this movie got a poor rating isn't because it was a 'bad' movie. Those who rated it poorly concede that it was well acted. The problem was that there was no 'happy' ending. While the title character did form an strong bond of friendship, he never found the intimate relationship that he desperately desired. Instead he chose to perfect his talents in writing and painting. One imagines that he will go on enriching the lives of others with his artistry while living a life of lonely desperation. There were lessons yet to be learned by the title character and you're left wondering if he 'got them'. He never grabbed the unbridled passion for life that he gazed upon in black and white. I was left with the impression that he will take a more 'responsible' stride through life much like his forebear Langston Hughes ... or maybe not.