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Movie Review:
Brown Sugar, Taye Diggs and Sanaa Lathan
BROWN SUGAR
Director: Rick Famuyiwa
Writer: Michael Elliott
Starring: Taye Diggs, Sanaa Lathan, Queen Latifah, Mos Def
Distributor: Fox Searchlight
Runtime: 109 minutes
I must mention that I got to hang with my grrl Jem and the rest of the Flow crew during the preview of the hip hop infused love story, Brown Sugar. I was lucky enough to sneak into the theatre and enjoy the vibe of the night. I owe you one, girl!
Let me just say that Brown Sugar had a very powerful effect on me. No, it did not make me realize that my one true love is still out there, it made me…hmm…for lack of better words…I just wanted some [I usually feel that way after watching reruns of "Newsradio" - Chris]. I'm not sure if it was all the fine men on screen (Taye Diggs, Boris Kodjoe, Mos Def - he's a little rugged looking, but he's cute to me!!!), but I had to bite my lip to keep from screaming. Okay, maybe I'm a little dramatic, but all that fineness on screen was too much for me to bear!!!
Well, back to the review. If you haven't already seen the commercials, Brown Sugar is a love story about Dre's (Taye Diggs), a music executive, and Sidney's (Sanaa Lathan), a hip-hop journalist, love of true hip-hop. In the film, they recall the moment when they witness their first freestyle battle, when they felt the excitement of a dope track, and when they chilled on the block and watched the breakdancers work up a sweat. Their friendship was born out of a mutual passion for the music.
And yes, the love also exists between them as well. They've grown up together, shared the good times and the bad times, but they never seemed to hook up. With the insistence of Francine (Queen Latifah), Sidney starts to acknowledge her feelings for Dre. She tries to deny it, and then covers up her love by dating Kelby (Boris Kodjoe)
Dre is no better at hiding his feelings for Sidney. Due to circumstance he is unable to date her, but then sees the light when Chris (Mos Def), a struggling rapper, tells him that he's watching the love of his life date another man.
As contrived as the story is, I enjoyed the film. It was nostalgic for me. One of my favourite parts of the movie is that I heard some rare songs that I haven't heard in a long time. Just hearing "Benita Applebaum" and listening to Slick Rick's voice got my head bobbing. I do like some of today's hip hop, but you cannot duplicate the impact that the music had back in the day.
To me, the supporting cast, most notably Mos Def, made the movie. He is a cab driver by day and a conscious lyricist by night. He wants to rap, but isn't about to sell out to make a quick buck. Dre wants to sign him, but the acts on his label are less than conscious (one of his acts actually performed a song called "The Ho Is Mine") and Chris isn't trying to be on a label with whack MC's. For half of the movie, Dre has to prove himself to Chris, and that he is a down brotha who still believes in real hip-hop.
My fascination with Mos Def's character is that he represents the real: real music, real hip-hop, real passion, which is the basis of the movie.
The love story between Dre and Sidney is okay, but at times I thought that it was too slow. True, you have to build up to the story, but it is safe to assume how it is going to end. You really didn't get to see their love blossom. We were just told that they've been friends all their lives and that the person that they have been looking for is right in front of their eyes. I'm sure the audience was counting down the seconds until they both told each other about their feelings and they hit the sheets. By the way, that scene wasn't all that.
Nevertheless, I liked the movie and would actually see it again (I want to see Mos Def again - I notice an obsession forming). It was cute and funny and had me wishing that I had a man like any of them.
Despite the predictability of the film, I thought it was hilarious and would recommend it to anyone.
So if you're in the mood for a sweet, funny comedy, or to be educated on hip-hop, check out Brown Sugar. ¤ Michelle
BROWN SUGAR:
out of 5
