Brown Sugar
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Movie Reviews of Brown Sugar
Movie Review: Great movie ONLY if you were exposed to hip-hop, pre-1990
Summary: 5 Stars
This movie is brilliant and entertaining and fresh, but sadly most the the reviewers of this movie TOTALLY MISSED the point.
If you thought this was just another romantic comedy, then of course you'd think this was just a run-of-the-mill, predictable movie.
If you weren't exposed and/or have no concept of what hip hop was before it's crossover period, circa-1990 with FAKE, gimmicky artists with no skill like Vanilla Ice and MC Hammer who put out anything that would sell records, don't watch this movie -- someone else will only have to break it down to you later.
Like the Amazon.com Review (Jeff Shannon) says above (please read carefully), the LEAST entertaining aspect of this movie is Dre & Sidney's relationship.
The gist of the movie is how Dre & Sid's relationship is written as a direct parallel and with commentary on the music business of how hip hop lost its soul when it crossed over and became commercial.
Every scene in the movie is metaphorical and attests to this commentary.
Dre & Sid's friendship as innocent young kids in the 1980s parallels the birth of hip hop and its innocent period.
Dre & Sid's outside (dating) relationships parallel hip hop selling out just enough in the mainstream to survive.
Dre's ultimate marriage to Reece, a fake, money-grubbing, status quo symbol, parallel's hip hop's crossover to the mainstream and going commercial.
Dre & Sid's hookup in the end (pay close attention to the hotel scene dialogue when Sid tells Dre she can't review his CD ... Dre's lines "One moment you say you want me to change and the next you're saying you want me to stay the same...").
That whole scene is metaphorical for the true to life debates music fans have today ... everyone wants hip hop to grow & change, yet those unhappy with the changes (such as overcommercialism & the rise of Southern hip hop) are longing for the "pure days" when rappers with real skills put out great music to represent their intelligence, their skills and their personal experience INSTEAD of puttin' out whatever flava-of-the-month style of music will sell the most (thus, selling out hip hop).
Finally, Dre & Sid's hookup as an official couple on Angie Martinez's Hot97 is like this film's writer's personal commentary that ultimately, hip hop has to return to its roots to move forward (kind of like a Hip Hop Sankofa concept, looking back/understanding the past in order to move forward).
Like I said, if you don't know what hip hop music was pre-1990, you won't understand half of the movie and thus you won't appreciate what the 4 & 5-star reviewers of this movie see in its creativity.
This film was written with a purpose and I hope, despite meager sales, we get more like this one instead of the stereotypical, dumbed-down stuff that Hollwyood keeps pushing.
Movie Review: "You are the perfect verse over a tight beat"
Summary: 5 Stars
I agree with the editorial review. Its kind of sad that I couldnt find this DVD in stores and had to revert to purchasing it online at Amazon.com. You can find 100 copies of some overrated blockbuster in these stores but you cant find Brown Sugar. I find that kind of strange. At any rate...
The story is about Sydney(Sanaa Lathan) and Dre(Taye Diggs). Two best friends that have feelings for each other but never attempted to date each other. Sydney is a journalist and Dre is a record executive at Millinium Records. Dre ends up marrying a woman he just met(played by Nicole Ari Parker) and Sydney is not too happy about it. Sydney ends up dating a ball player(played by Boris Kodjoe) and they end up getting engaged. Dre has to deal with with a record label that only cares about making money and Sydney has to deal with her feelings for Dre.
Sanaa Lathan and Taye Diggs have wonderful chemistry together. They come across as real people on the screen and that is one thing I enjoy about Rick Fumuyiwa's movies. The people in them seem like real people and not these cardboard cutouts that we are used to in Hollywood movies. Also great in this movie is Queen Latifah and Mos Def who plays Chris, a struggling hip hop artist. Brown Sugar is not only charming and has a heart, its also smart and funny too. I'll admit that I laughed quite a bit especially at Rin and Tin scenes. I also love how the movie uses Sydney and Dre as a metaphorical euphemism for hip hop. Its a well written and well acted movie that deserves a lot more credit that it receives. Nowadays movies are being oversold to death and stealing all the hype from movies that deserve hype. Its sad but this is the Follywood machine at work and it has never been any other way. Sanaa Lathan is not only a sight for sore eyes but she can actually act. Taye Diggs brings his usual charm to the film and I must say that they make a beautiful couple on screen.
Conclusion: Brown Sugar is one of the best and is most underrated romantic comedies of 2002. The story is great, the acting is cool and the chemistry is there. What more can you ask for from a movie? The people that gave this movie less than 3 stars should stick to reviewing Quentin Tarantino and his awful overrated movies(all of them!)and leave movies like this one alone. Support the black directors that give you great work and Rick Fumuyiwa has given you great work with The Wood and Brown Sugar. Dont take directors like Bill Duke, Rick Fumuyiwa, Matty Rich etc for granted because you will helping in the downward spiral of quality in Black cinema. Give Brown Sugar a chance. It deserves that much which is more than I can say for most of the overhyped junk that comes out now.
Movie Review: "WHEN IT'S MEANT TO BE"
Summary: 5 Stars
Taye Diggs and Sanaa Lathan, my favorite actor and actress coming together, it has to be good! But you don't need to know either one of these two to love "Brown Sugar". This movie involves two adults that grew up as best friends but later realised that they were in love with eachother, it raises a question of whether a man and a woman can be friends without sexuality being in the way but at the same time it goes beyond that; having a lover as a best friend is as good as it gets. What makes this movie good is the trouble these two best friends go through to realize how they feel about each other but that's not a bad thing, it just helps them realize how they truly feel. Most movies would just show the physical attraction between two people but Brown Sugar shows you two people understanding eachother in every way possible. It is truly the best romantic movie that I have ever watched, it's not only touching but it has humor along the way which makes it open to a lot of different audiences. The delivery was great, no surprise there, if I didn't know better I would think it was a true story. Beautiful movie!Movie Review: turned on for Taye . . . watched for the sheer brilliance
Summary: 5 Stars
This movie . . . is beautiful. I watched it because I am a major RENThead, and a huge Taye/Idina fan, but I watched it again 5 minutes later, because of the metaphoric conection of Dre and hip-hop. I love how Sid falls in love, not only with hip-hop but with "hip-hop (Dre)" this movie is a bit predicatable, but it is amazing. There ia also some comedy, sometimes brought to you by the wonder Queen Latifah. Brown Sugar is so real, yet it is just one of those movies that you watch and say "Damn why can't I find a guy like that." If you're looking for one of the sweetest love stories of our time, then you've found it.
My favorite part is definately Taye Diggs and his hotness, but alas he is a married man, to the most amazing actress ever Idina Menzel. Check him out in his sexiness in Idina Menzel's music video for "Minuet" and in movies such as Rent.
Dee & Taye forever!
Movie Review: Rick Famuyiwa does it again with this sweet love story
Summary: 5 Stars
Rick Famuyiwa continues to show his talent to Hollywood in the sweet Brown Sugar. Rick Famuyiwa who burst on to the scene with the vastly underrated The Wood in 1999 has made a charming film that couples, hip hop heads and anyone just looking for a good film can enjoy. Brown Sugar use the evoulation of hip hop to tell the story of Dre and Sidney two life long friends who belong. Dre and Sidney are both played with charm by Taye Diggs and Sanna Lathan. Sugar is similar to Love & Basketball on some levels just subistute basketball for the music indstury but this film is more of Lathan's story who should have recieved top billing this time. Mos Def steals every scene he's in as Chris an up and coming rapper and Queen Latifah, Nicole Parker and Boris Kodjoe all give good performances. A vibrant soundtrack and sharp script by Mike Eillot should made this film a hit.