| | | The Rhythm. The Beat. The Love...and You Don't Stop.
Features: DVD, Widescreen, Aspect Ratio 1.85:1, Pan and Scan (TV Format), Aspect Ratio 1.33:1, Director's Cut, Spanish, Subtitled, Music Video
A hot ensemble cast featuring Taye Diggs, Sanaa Lathan, Queen Latifah and Mos Def shines in this romantic comedy about love and laughter in the world of hip-hop. Sydney (Lathan) and Dre (Diggs) are childhood friends who share a passion for music and an unsung love for each other. But when Dre marries the wrong woman, Sydney must make her move or risk losing her soulmate forever.
"Sweet. The pun is unavoidable. It's the only adjective that fully captures the flavor of the romantic comedy Brown Sugar." Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer
"...slick and sexy with a hip-hop beat!" Earl Dittman, Wireless Magazines
"Smart and consistently funny, with sharp performances." J.R. Jones, Chicago Reader
"A good cast, terrific soundtrack, and genial spirit all help the film go down smoothly." Nathan Rabin, The Onion A.V. Club
"Fresh, fast and right on righteous." Northwest Cable News
Editor's Note
Rick Famuyiwa breathes a refreshing burst of air into the romantic comedy genre with BROWN SUGAR, a film that is as much a tribute to hip-hop as it is a celebration of friendship and love. Dre (Taye Diggs) and Sidney (Sanaa Lathan), best friends since elementary school, have been in love with rap music since they can remember. It has even carried through into their adult lives. Dre is making a successful living as a record executive, while Sidney has just taken over as editor-in-chief at one of the hip-hop community's most popular magazines. Somehow, romance has never been an issue between the two, until they both find new loves of their own--for Dre, it's the beautiful Reese (Nicole Ari Parker), for Sidney, it's basketball star Kelby (Boris Kodjoe). Disillusioned with the lackluster music that his label continually puts out, Dre decides to branch out on his own. Sidney gives him a loan to support his bold new venture, but it is this unflinching support that eventually begins to grate on Reese and Kelby, forcing Dre and Sidney to confront their true feelings. Famuyiwa's crowd-pleasing film is boosted by Mos Def and Queen Latifah's hysterical supporting performances.
| Features | Theatrical Trailer | | Full-Length Audio Commentary By Director Rick Famuyiwa and Film Editor Dirk Westervelt | | Deleted Scenes with Optional Commentary | | Music Videos: Love Of My Life (An Ode To Hip Hop) By Erykah Badu Featuring Common and Brown Sugar (Extra Sweet) By Mos Def Featuring Faith Evans |
| Entertainment Reviews
 | Brown Sugar - DVD Review By: David Levine - filmcritic.com DVD Reviews Published on: 3/27/2009 5:36 PM | |
To completely understand Brown Sugar requires an appreciation of what hip-hop means to the lives of those who listen to it. Since I’m not well versed in hip-hop music and culture, I didn’t understand some parts of the film that the majority of my audience clearly did. I can, however, recognize good filmmaking when I see it. And unfortunately, Brown Sugar is not sweet enough to liven up its predictable story and will leave even fans of hip-hop sorely disappointed. The film’s setup is simple. Dre (Taye Diggs) and Sidney (Sanaa Lathan) have been very close friends since childhood, when hip-hop was just coming into its own....read the full review |
| Technical Info
|
Release Information
| | Studio: Foxvideo |
| Release Date: 1/6/2009 |
| Running Time: 109 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 2002 | | Catalog ID: 2259055 | | UPC: 00024543065494 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English [CC], English | | Available Subtitles: English, Spanish | | Video: Color |
Aspect Ratio | | Anamorphic Widescreen/Standard 1.85:1/1.33:1 [4:3] |
| Cast & Crew | Method Man | | Mos Def | | Sanaa Lathan | | Boris Kodjoe | | Nicole Ari Parker | | Taye Diggs | | Queen Latifah | | Enrique Chediak - Director of Photography | | Michael Elliott - Screenwriter | | Robert Hurst - Music | | Earvin "Magic" Johnson - Executive Producer | | Darryle Johnson - Costume Designer | | Dana Dane - Cameo | | De La Soul - Featured | | Slick Rick - Cameo | | Rick Famuyiwa - Screenwriter | | Kool G. Rap - Cameo | | Tariq Trotter - Featured | | Peter Heller - Producer | | Kool G. Rap - Featured | | Doug E. Fresh - Cameo | | Russell Simmons - Cameo | | Method Man - Featured | | Rick Famuyiwa - Director |
| Awards |
Image Award (2003) | | | Brown Sugar, Nominee, Outstanding Motion Picture | |
Grammy (2003) | | | Erykah Badu, et. al. ["Love Of My Life (An Ode To Hip Hop)"], Nominee, Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media | |
Image Award (2003) | | | Mos Def, Nominee, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture | | | Queen Latifah, Nominee, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture | | | Sanaa Lathan, Nominee, Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture | | | Taye Diggs, Nominee, Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture |
|
| | Professional Reviews | Box Office
"...[A] surprisingly thoughtful and well-handled romance..." 10/01/2002 p.58New York Times
"...[The film] sustains the charm of an early 60's New York romance..." 10/11/2002 p.E26 Los Angeles Times
"...A sly and sophisticated romantic comedy with a depth of characterization matched by its appreciation of the world of hip-hop..." 10/11/2002 p.C6 Variety
"...Sufficiently smooth, sexy and tuneful....Parker and Kodjoe sizzle..." 10/07/2002 p.23-4 Chicago Sun-Times
"...A romantic comedy, yes, but one with characters who think and talk about their goals, and are working hard on decisions....It's observant..." 10/11/2002 p.35 Entertainment Weekly
"...A film whose tough choices and bittersweet ending keep it real..." 02/14/2003 p.61 ReelViews 8 of 10
Those looking for a concise description of Brown Sugar could refer to it as the "African American When Harry Met Sally." After all, it is a romantic comedy that asks the popular movie question of whether a man and woman can be platonic friends without sex becoming an issue. Predictably, as was the case in the Billy Crystal/Meg Ryan pairing, the answer is no, but Rick Famuyiwa's feature deals with its subject matter in a tasteful, intelligent manner, rather than forcing us to endure every plot contrivance that the cliche-riddled genre can offer...The backdrop of Brown Sugar is the world of hip-hop music, and rapper Mos Def has a role as an artist that Dre decides to back. The soundtrack is loaded with hip-hop numbers, and will prove to be a "must have" for fans...Lead actors Taye Diggs and Sanaa Lathan generate enough chemistry to ignite a few sparks. The two previously appeared together in The Best Man and The Wood (also directed by Famuyiwa). In Brown Sugar, they have no difficulty convincing the audience of their love for hip-hop and for each other, even though they consistently delude themselves about any feelings pertaining to the latter. The supporting cast is solid, with Queen Latifah stealing her share of scenes as Sidney's cousin and confidante...Despite having an all-black cast, Brown Sugar is essentially color-blind. Or, to put it another way, the film's intrinsic appeal is not confined to African American audiences. There are undoubtedly some who will complain that Brown Sugar's screenplay has been homogenized for mass-market consumption, but it doesn't seem to me that there's anything wrong with making a movie that can attract both black and white viewers. And, if you want edgy, looking to a romantic comedy to provide it is ill-advised. Brown Sugar is undemanding fun capable of providing two hours of entertainment for anyone who enjoys a smart story with plenty of romantic tension. - James Berardinelli
Chicago Sun-Times 8 of 10
She is the editor of an important music magazine. He produces hip-hop for a major label. They've been best friends since childhood, but never more than that, although they came close a few times. Now, as both approach 30, Dre (Taye Diggs) feels his career has lost its way. And Sidney (Sanaa Lathan) is working so hard she doesn't have time for romance..."Brown Sugar," which charts romantic passages in these lives, is a romantic comedy, yes, but one with characters who think and talk about their goals, and are working on hard decisions. For both Sidney and Dre, hip-hop music symbolizes a kind of perfect adolescent innocence, a purity they're trying to return to as more cynical adults..."Brown Sugar," advertised as a hip-hop comedy, is more like a slice of black professional life (there's not even an entire hip-hop song in the whole movie). Directed and co-written by Rick Famuyiwa, the movie returns to a world similar to his "The Wood" (1999), but the characters are deeper and more complex...Consider Reese, the Nicole Ari Parker character. In a less thoughtful movie, she'd be the shallow, bitchy life-wrecker. Here, she is blameless and basically reasonable: mad at Dre for quitting his job without talking it over with her, jealous of Sidney because she (correctly) suspects Sidney and Dre have always been in love but lied to themselves about it...There's a scene in "Brown Sugar" I never thought I'd see in a movie, where after Reese and Dre have a "final" fight, and in a more conventional film she would disappear forever from the screenplay, but here she returns to suggest counseling and says they need to work harder at their marriage. How many movie romances are that thoughtful about their characters? "Brown Sugar" may be pitching itself to the wrong audience. The ads promise: "The Rhythm ... the Beat ... the Love ... and You Don't Stop!" But it's not a musical and although it's sometimes a comedy, it's observant about its people. - Roger Ebert
|
| |
|
|
|
