Brown Sugar

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Singleton</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 23 WIDTH="575"><div> Cast</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="592" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 23 WIDTH="588"><div> Taye Diggs</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 20 WIDTH="588"><div> <B>Sanaa Lathan</B></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 20 WIDTH="588"><div> <B>Mos Def</B></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 20 WIDTH="588"><div> <B>Nicole Ari Parker</B></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 20 WIDTH="588"><div> <B>Queen Latifah</B></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="588"><div> Directed by Rick Famuyiwa</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="592" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 23 WIDTH="588"><div> Hip Hop into the mainstream</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> As youngsters playing on the streets of New York City, young Dre and Sidney are introduced to hip-hop. They become best friends, but not lovers until many years later, when each is deep into their career and they find that other relationships don't have the spark or the long term potential they desire. Dre (Taye Diggs) is a hip-hop record producer who's into making good deals rather than creating great music. Sidney (Sanaa Lathan) is a successful magazine editor who's writing a book, and whose love life takes a back seat to getting ahead. </div> <bR> <div> Dre is a player, who after a short but intense affair with Reese (Nicole Ari Parker) proposes marriage and is soon walking down the aisle. While Dre and Reese are lovin' it up, Sidney meets NBA player Kelby (Boris Kodjoe), who falls head over heels in love with her. </div> <bR> <div> Meanwhile, aspiring hip-hop artist Chris (Mos Def) turns down working with Dre because he knows that Dre is producing trash. When Dre decides to start his own record label, with the help of funds from Sidney, they begin to understand that his marriage is headed for divorce court and her engagement needs to be called off. Credit is due to the filmmakers and the fine performances of Parker and Kodjoe for creating two very likable and great looking "eventual ex's." Even though the ending is not in doubt, Dre and Sidney will realize they are meant to be together, the fun of seeing hip-hop in the mainstream as they travel in uncharted emotional waters makes "Brown Sugar" not spectacular but still very special.</div> <bR> <div> "Brown Sugar" is a sensual film, especially for women. George recalls the loud moans from the audience, when Taye Diggs did his shower scene with Angela Bassett in "How Stella Got Her Groove Back" and that was just a warm up for here. Not only does Taye cause a reaction, so does Boris Kodjoe. And just when you are about to think this is a chick flick the boxing scene between Sanaa Lathan and Nicole Ari Parker has something for the guys. Halle Berry may be playing catch up when "Die Another Day" opens next month.</div> <bR> <div> The major film story of the year just might be that small ethnic films reach a mass audience. Jumping out of the gate is <I><B>"My Big Fat Greek Wedding,"</B></I> which long ago passed the "Ever Ready Bunny" for longevity at the box office. <B>"</B><I><B>Barbershop</B></I><B>"</B> has run past the $70 million mark, and on the horizon are potential cross over ethnic films such as <B>"</B><I><B>Bloody Sunday,</B></I><B>"</B> about the Irish, <B>"</B><I><B>Real Women Have Curves</B></I><B>,"</B> about women's self image, seen through the eyes of a Mexican-American family. And here, "Brown Sugar" features a black </div> <div> cast and tells a universal tale about relationships. Sometimes we may think that only our family is dysfunctional, and that most, or all, of our ethnic traits are unique… until we learn about others. "Brown Sugar" is sweet but not too syrupy.</div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="591" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="587"><div> George O. Singleton © 2002</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="587"><div> <A HREF="mailto:george@reelmoviecritic.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:george@reelmoviecritic.com"><U><U>george@reelmoviecritic.com</U></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div>  </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div>  </div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>