The Brothers Synopsis: Four friends begin to question women and relationships when one of them announces impending nuptials.
The Brothers chronicle the lives of four childhood friends as they all navigate life and love. Jackson (Morris Chestnut) is a man with commitment issues who has a recurring nightmare involving a bride. Brian (Bill Bellamy) is an attorney who vows never to date another African American woman after an ex; the judge in one of his cases holds him in contempt and sends him to jail. Derrick (DL Hughley) is married with a new baby but struggles with the lack of sex in their marriage. And Terry (Shemar Moore) is a player who finally decides to settle down with a woman he’s only been dating for two months.
Director Gary Hardwick referred to this movie as “Refusing to Exhale.” Indeed, many called The Brothers the male version of 1995’s Waiting to Exhale. I can’t say how accurate that is, given I have not yet seen Waiting to Exhale, but… I sincerely hope Waiting to Exhale will be a more satisfying viewing experience.
I didn’t dislike The Brothers. It has a great cast and some interesting storylines. The problem is that the not-so-interesting storylines bog down the rest of the movie. I can definitively say that Jackson’s storyline was the film’s anchor.
A successful physician, Jackson sees a therapist to discuss his commitment issues – he’s too scared to repeat the mistakes of his divorced parents that he has trouble truly giving his heart to another person. Then he meets Denise (Gabrielle Union), a freelance photographer who may be The One. But she’s harboring a secret about a past relationship that could derail their future. This was the storyline I enjoyed the most, and I could have easily watched an entire film revolving around it.
The other three men were okay. Watching Shemar Moore’s womanizing Terry plan a wedding with a maybe-mentally unstable woman(?) was entertaining enough. But Derrick and Brian’s problems were a bit frivolous and off-putting. Brian wants to date white women because black women are too dramatic – Derrick has specific sexual needs that he wants his wife to fulfill, even though she’s coping with being a new mother. Blah, blah, whine, whine, bore, bore. I reminded myself that this was 2001, but I think those two characters could have been given something more than an old, familiar trope that’s been done so many times before and better.
I love a romantic dramedy that focuses on a group of friends as they find their way through life and love, and The Brothers had its moments. It’s well-acted and plenty romantic, so while I’ll say it’s not one I would watch again, it’s still worth a viewing. I wish it had been a bit more focused.
Watched: 03/15/2023
Notable Song: Love Don’t Love Me by Eric Benet
