Hip-hop is simply the newest tool for the same tired script of childhood friends who go down different paths only to realize they are each others' destiny.
Brown Sugar (2002)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:84
Fresh:54
Rotten:30
Average Rating:6.2/10
Consensus: Though you can guess the outcome of Brown Sugar at the beginning, Lathan and Diggs imbue this romantic comedy with a lot of charm.
Runtime: 1 hr 49 mins
Genre: Comedies
Synopsis: Rick Famuyiwa breathes a refreshing burst of air into the romantic comedy genre with BROWN SUGAR, a film that is as much a tribute to hip-hop as it is a celebration of friendship and love. Dre... Rick Famuyiwa breathes a refreshing burst of air into the romantic comedy genre with BROWN SUGAR, a film that is as much a tribute to hip-hop as it is a celebration of friendship and love. Dre (Taye Diggs) and Sidney (Sanaa Lathan), best friends since elementary school, have been in love with rap music since they can remember. It has even carried through into their adult lives. Dre is making a successful living as a record executive, while Sidney has just taken over as editor-in-chief at one of the hip-hop community's most popular magazines. Somehow, romance has never been an issue between the two, until they both find new loves of their own--for Dre, it's the beautiful Reese (Nicole Ari Parker), for Sidney, it's basketball star Kelby (Boris Kodjoe). Disillusioned with the lackluster music that his label continually puts out, Dre decides to branch out on his own. Sidney gives him a loan to support his bold new venture, but it is this unflinching support that eventually begins to grate on Reese and Kelby, forcing Dre and Sidney to confront their true feelings. Famuyiwa's crowd-pleasing film is boosted by Mos Def and Queen Latifah's hysterical supporting performances. [More]
Starring: Taye Diggs, Sanaa Lathan, Mos Def, Queen Latifah
Starring: Taye Diggs, Sanaa Lathan, Mos Def, Queen Latifah, Nicole Ari Parker, Method Man, Boris Kodjoe, Kool G. Rap, De La Soul, Black Thought
Director: Rick Famuyiwa
Director: Rick Famuyiwa
Screenwriter: Michael Elliott, Rick Famuyiwa
Producer: Peter Heller
Studio: Fox Searchlight Pictures
Reviews for Brown Sugar
While it's genuinely cool to hear characters talk about early rap records (Sugar Hill Gang, etc.), the constant referencing of hip-hop arcana can alienate even the savviest audiences.
Predictable and cloying, though Brown Sugar is so earnest in its yearning for the days before rap went nihilistic that it summons more spirit and bite than your average formulaic romantic quadrangle.
Brown Sugar signals director Rick Famuyiwa's emergence as an articulate, grown-up voice in African-American cinema.
Watching the characters go through the paces of their unconvincing jobs is like flipping through the pages of GQ (or Architectural Digest) to admire all of the perfect models.
Their love fails to resonate as anything more than a shared musical passion.
Famuyiwa's feature deals with its subject matter in a tasteful, intelligent manner, rather than forcing us to endure every plot contrivance that the cliché-riddled genre can offer.
I like this movie a lot. It's probably the sweetest, corniest movie about hip-hop music you're ever going to see.
It has so many tropes that a teenager could construct a plot line just by connecting the dots.
This cheery, down-to-earth film is warm with the cozy feeling of relaxing around old friends.
All of the filmmakers' calculations can't rescue Brown Sugar from the curse of blandness.
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