By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4 cats
Director: Rodney Evans
Starring: Anthony Mackie | Larry Gilliard Jr. | Roger Robinson
Country: united_states
Year: 2005
Running time: 94
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0306597/reference
Ron says: “BROTHER TO BROTHER is a compelling look at the Harlem Renaissance as seen through the eyes of Bruce Nugent, a writer and painter of the era, now living in a homeless shelter in New York. Bruce befriends Perry Ellis, a young, black gay artist who has been rejected by his family because of his sexuality, but is finding enthusiastic acceptance in the art world which he is hesitant to embrace. Flashbacks to a young Bruce and fellow artists Wallace Thurman, Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston are woven with Perry’s struggles with yet another boyfriend with a racial fetish, as well as a homophobic classmate. Director Rodney Evan’s film is oddly paced in spots, but the poignant script and an all-around terrific cast (including Daniel Sunjata, who played the gay baseball player on Broadway in ‘Take Me Out’) of very talented but little known actors makes up for any minor flaws.”
Michael says: “Rodney Evans’ first, feature, narrative tackles ISSUES, but the good news is, he manages to avoid sounding pedantic or preachy. Perry is a gay, African-American college student who is struggling with the way he is perceived by the world. Do straight African-Americans take greater issue to gay African-Americans than whites do? And how about his white friend with whom he has just started to have sex? How does he perceive Perry? Somewhere along the way, Perry meets Bruce an elderly poet in a homeless shelter. Through brief conversation and a little research, Perry discovers that Bruce was one of the writers who rose to prominence during the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920’s. Bruce hung out with Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Wallace Thurman and the like, and as his friendship with Perry evolves, he touches the younger man about the power of art, and the way a
zeitgeist can energize a group of individuals. The audience sees striking similarities between a cultural movment in the 1920’s and the modern world.
“Evans handles this potentially ponderous script with humor, and for the most part, a restrained sentimentality. His direction is assured, avoiding the artsy tricks that often bring other films about art and literature down. The performances are pretty uniformly strong, particularly theatre actor Roger Robinson as Bruce Nugent and Larry Gilliard Jr. as Marcus, Perry’s poetry-slamming friend from his youth, who sticks by him and keeps the audience laughing.
“Evans was on hand to answer questions after the screening, and he was greatly praised by the audience. He also answered some great questions, and commented on a scene that seems to set a lot of people off involving the perceived reasons behind the sexual relationship that develops between Perry and his white friend. What struck me wasn’t that much-discussed scene, but the scene that resolves it. Evans handles things honestly, simply and to me, in a very realistic way. I recommend BROTHER TO BROTHER. 4 cats”
Philip says: “Anthony Mackie’s (THE HURT LOCKER) break-0ut performance as the young gay African-American art student in NYC who befriends Harlem Renaissance legend, Richard Bruce Nugent. This film tackles race, sexuality, and the intersection of the two in urban black gay male culture. A truly amazing indy film with a great cast including several roles by actors from The Wire. Modern day collides with the Harlem Renaissance in a perfect way. A must-see.”