"The Brothers" is mostly hilarious, at times crude, but always intent on teaching life's lessons: Bill Bellamy, meet Oprah Winfrey.
After the success of 1995's "Waiting to Exhale," it was only a matter of time before the male counterpart of the story came along. You know the situation -- four friends, four crazy love lives and plentiful members of the opposite sex, combined with a substantial dose of discussion about love, life, etc. Sound familiar? No doubt. But does it work? You bet.
"The Brothers," best summed up as a romantic comedy, has as many ups and downs as the troubled romances of the main characters. Featuring the uproarious quartet of Shemar Moore ("The Young and the Restless"), Morris Chestnut ("Boyz N the Hood"), and comedians Bellamy and D.L. Hughley, the dialogue between the characters shines in ad-libbed comic situations, only to flop in forced sentimental scenarios. Fortunately, twists in the storyline make up for definite shortcomings in these portions of the script.
|
The Brothers, as the four are called, are your classic Hollywood group of friends: fellas that have been friends since high school who are now professionals, excelling in their respective fields. The trouble begins when Terry (Moore) announces to the guys at the ubiquitous pick-up basketball game that he intends to marry his headstrong, somewhat unstable girlfriend (convincingly played by Susan Dalian). The announcement is predictably not taken well, eventually leading all of the men to reanalyze their own lives and futures. At that point, the film diverges fourfold to showcase the dysfunctional love lives of all the characters.
|
Some of the plotlines are certainly more entertaining and believable than others. Brian (Bellamy), for instance, who plays the token womanizer, is in the movie entirely for comic relief with no real plotline function to speak of. Terry also adds nothing considerable to the overall story; if Moore's acting in the early scenes of the movie is any indication of his acting ability, perhaps this isn't an accident. Fortunately, his role his thoroughly undeveloped, so acting ability (or lack thereof) isn't too much of an issue. Derrick (Hughley) is the one with the marital problem; as the only married brother, his ongoing struggle with his wife is a welcome showcase of Hughley's comedic talents and lightens the sometimes overly heavy romantic drama.
The core of the story, however, is centered on Jackson (Chestnut). A doctor with severe commitment issues (to the point of revolver-toting bride nightmares), Jackson meets his match in Denise, a similar commitment-phobe brilliantly played by Gabrielle Union, who steps out of her nearly typecast role as a teenage sidekick ("Bring it On," "10 Things I Hate About You"). Although the film falters with cliched trips to the therapist to reveal Jackson's innermost feelings and a conventional confrontation regarding Denise's past, the two clearly carry the substance of the film on their shoulders.
As a whole, "The Brothers" is a witty take on an oft-portrayed situation that appeals to women as much as men. The underlying theme of the importance of respect for the "sisters," combined with needless shirtless basketball games (a la the volleyball scene in "Top Gun") creates a definite balance and an enjoyable movie for both sexes. And the keyword is certainly "enjoyable": "The Brothers" offers nothing particularly memorable or insightful, but aside from somewhat painful preachy scenes about love and loss, it's an enjoyable ride.
Read More
The best albums of 2014
By Noah Zeidman | December 4, 2014Across genres, it has been a pretty great year in music.
Top 10 movies of 2014
December 4, 2014This has been an excellent year for film, offering everything from gripping blockbusters to innovative personal films.
Iggy Azalea is “Reclassified”
December 4, 2014It has become common practice among music artists to repackage their albums in an effort to simultaneously boost single sales and dish out new content by slightly renaming the album or slapping “Deluxe” onto the title.
