Description

Audio-visual collage of the life and times of musician-composer-arranger-producer Quincy Jones. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Brilliance on Brilliance
This is an incredible documentary about an amazing man. The film takes you on a ride through the histroy of jazz while telling the story of the phenomonal genius and versatility of Quincy Jones. The movie, and the life it reflects, are structured like a fine jazz number, layered and intricate with a rythem and flow gracefully linked by a unifying theme. Quincy Jones is high on music and life. Do yourself a favor and... Listen Up!!!

very good
quincy jones is music period.this film showcases the many diffrent artists that he has worked with.it's a true tribute to one of the masters of music.from miles davis to michael jackson,frank sinitra etcc.. the best pay tribute to the best. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Robert Townsend has managed to build an entire career on the basis of one funny movie (The Hollywood Shuffle)--even though he hasn't had one that was anywhere near as funny since. Case in point: This would-be comedy about an unwilling black superhero. Townsend plays a schoolteacher in a bad Washington, D.C., neighborhood that is controlled by a vicious drug gang (recognizable by their blonde-dyed hair). Then he is hit by a meteor and suddenly finds that he has super strength and can fly (and can read the minds of dogs). But Townsend's writing is surprisingly weak and, despite a cast that includes a mugging Bill Cosby, Eddie Griffin, Robert Guillaume, and sadly miscast James Earl Jones, this movie is never able to get off the ground. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Great movie, great fun
... sure it's not the best movie ever, but great if you like this type of comedy...
It's been years since I last saw this movie though, but I might buy it next month (Depends on if I get enough money to buy it)

Good ideas. poor execution. Meteor Man is very very rocky.
Robert Townsend's the Meteor Man was supposed to be a satire of Comic books and Superheroes. Unfortunately, it's a poor copy of the Batman TV show of the 60's without any of the humor. Townsend makes a ton of mistakes here and all of them make the movie one of the worst you'll ever see.
Meteor Man could have been a lot of fun to watch; a black superhero satire film is really an interesting premise. While Townsend is very good at satire he doesn't know that the method of acting in this type of satire is actually "Camp." In order to make fun of Comic books and Superheroes you must understand the mechanics of comedy and what style works best to tell the jokes in. Superheroes are already farfetched and the only way to poke fun at them in their world is for the characters to take themselves seriously. Unfortunately, Townsend tells to cast to take their roles for a joke and that's a big mistake. "Camp" only works when the actors play their roles seriously. The serious performances working in tandem with the satiric jokes pokes fun at the ridiculousness of the situations the hero involves himself in as opposed to how it's seen in the real world and that's what makes it funny. When the actors are aware of the joke we can't laugh with them or at them. Contrast MM to the Batman TV show, Wild Wild West, or Sam Raimi's Hercules, Xena, or even the Tick TV series. In each of these shows the actors take their roles so seriously that we laugh at how absurd the situations are as opposed to the real world. We know about the jokes that the characters don't.
Townsend's second mistake was casting big name stars in the film. To make Camp work you need to cast unknown actors in the roles so they blend into the characters. People Like Bill Cosby, Luther Vandross and James Earl Jones stand out like sore thumbs in this film and look so ridiculous that we can't laugh at the jokes they tell. The use of then rapper Big Daddy Kane, commedian Sinbad and the group Another Bad creation wearing bad blond fades just look cartoonish. Smaller actors taking their roles seriously would have made this work.
Townsend's third and final mistake in this film was the script. It's not serious. It makes comic books look cartoonish. On top of that it's preachy and shallow; it's clear that he didn't research comic books or superheroes at all before writing it. The origin and the powers of the meteor man come together so poorly that we can't suspend our disbelief at his superhuman abilities. A meteor slamming into a man would kill him, not give him powers. Him toching a meteor rock and getting powers would make sense. On top of that his powers are inconsistent. Flight and Super Strength make sense but the ability to read any book by touching it had me scratching my head.
I don't see this film as a creative failure for Robert Townsend. I'm glad he tried to do something different and original with a Black film. Meteor Man had the potential to be something great, however, Townsend didn't do the necessary research to make this type of comedy work. He might have watched the old Batman show for reference, but didn't take the time to dissect the jokes to understand what made them funny like he did in his great first film Hollywood Shuffle. I'm hoping someone tries another film like this because I think someone who understands the style of humor that camp is could make a truly great film.

Worst movie I have seen in a long time.
There are dozens of clever, offbeat films worth watching, but this isn't one of them. Makes Pootie Tang look like an Oscar winner.

One of my Favs.
I Thought this movie was good maybe not the best but i thought it was good. many cameo appearances many celebs. Even though some people thought the movie wasnt that funny i thought it was. Especially the last scene. I cant wait til it comes out on dvd february 18th. Im definetly getting it and i think you should too.

What can you say?
Even though actors like Bill Cosby appear in this movie, Robert Townsend's acting and directing of humor is sadly unfocused and becomes little more then sad at trying to be funny, when it is not. ... Read more

Reviews (52)

Good on the lovin, lukewarm on the music
A ... urban romance, "Brown Sugar" blurs the line between love and hip-hop, examining, with sharp humor, the courtship subtleties among upwardly mobile black Americans. The movie is also a commentary on the state of rap music, a half-baked "real is truth, gimmick is whack" tribute that eats up far too much screen time and dilutes some of the chemistry between the movie's six principals.

Taye Diggs is Dre, a record-executive-in-training smitten with hip-hop journalist Sid (Sanaa Lathan), and she with him, since grade school, when they made eyes over a rap song. Neither admits the attraction and for Dre there's a drop-dead lawyer named Reese (Nicole Ari Parker) waiting in the wings for a marriage proposal. Sid is stung, and she falls for an NBA player, Kelby (Boris Kodjoe), a smooth, get-what-I-want rapper-on-side. Rounding out the sextet is Queen Latifah as Sid's mouthy best friend, and Mos Def as a talented emcee Dre would like to promote on a new label. His own.

Though Diggs and Lathan are the fated couple of "Brown Sugar," co-screenwriters Mike Elliot and Rick Famuyiwa - who also directed - are smart enough to offer Dre and Sid realistic, appealing alternatives. Reese and Kelby are imperfect matches for the respective leads, but their flaws aren't immediately revealed, and when coupling cracks begin to deepen, the blame bleeds to both sides. Parker - memorable as a bit player in "Boogie Nights" and "The End of Violence" - is particularly good as an ambitious-yet-ultimately-decent uptown girl looking to introduce Dre to the society's upper crust. A very good scene at a New Year's Eve dinner party argues, persuasively, that best friends share some moments spouses never will. Lathan works a variation of her beautiful nerd performance in "Love and Basketball," while Diggs, again, is literate and smooth.

"Brown Sugar" is a quieter, more observant picture than some of its predecessors, and yet it doubles as a hammy, idealistic treatise on hip-hop; the movie opens with a series of documentary interviews as current rap artists recount the moment they first fell in love with the music. The script then talks around the subject - casting Queen Latifah and Mos Def is apparently message enough - while failing to indict a music industry that essentially leaves the future of the artists in the hands of one radio station - Hot 97 - to decide who gets airplay, and who doesn't. The movie takes great pains to scold sellouts and one-hit wonders without aiming its arrow at the point-of-entry corruption that rewards such behavior.

But no matter. "Brown Sugar" projects a mature realism on love reaching beyond the limited hip-hop plot. It's a credit to the director, and the performances, that as Dre and Sid unthaw to one another, it's about more than a collection of verses over beats.

too true!
This movie was sort of an outcry to musicians to stop this mess that is out now. So called hip hop and rap have been run amok, has been ever since the demise of 2pac and biggie. Lost even more when Jam Jay took the loss shortly after the movie's release. What this movie stands for on top of that though, is that you have to stand up for what u want. Taye and Sanaa wanted each other, but let it slide for quite a while. Even put up with a marriage and an engagement before the two realized they were meant to be more than friends. Even with all that the underlying meaning of the whole thing was that hip hop/rap sucks now. Sanaa even says "what's the differance between loving someone and being in love with them? The same as the differance between hip hop and rap. Loving someone is just saying the words." Just like rap is meaningless b.s. and hip hop was an entire movement, way of life and emotion. Rap is garbage and it's making everyone else look like crap too. But I like the movie. and I love what it had to say in a roundabout way.

Even a Good Cast Couldn't Save This
I am sorry. I loved the cast and I tried with all my heart to feel what the film was about but this was the most boring film I have seen in a long time! With actors like Taye Diggs and Queen Latifah I expected at least some tip-top comedy wisecracking. I nearly fell asleep the first five minutes and I tried my darnest to stick with the movie but I quit watching after the first hour. I couldn't hang on any longer. This is a very boring movie. I don't know what the heck went wrong. The dialogue is pointless and goes nowhere. They talked on and on about nothing! I kept waiting for some sparks to fly instead I ended up slapping myself to keep from dozing. Sanaa Lathan and Taye Diggs are talented but they have no chemistry whatsoever. Queen Latifah was wasted and...the movie was just plain pointless. It tries to be the Love Jones of the millennium but it doesn't even come close. Love Jones had charisma Brown Sugar doesn't do anything at all. It doesn't make you care about the characters or if they end up together. You just keep wishing it would go a little faster. I've stood in DMV lines that were more exciting then this! At least the DMV lines moved eventually. Don't hate me folks because I tried to give this film the benefit of the doubt but something wasn't working. I can't recommend this to anyone. This was supposed to be like Sleepless in Seattle, oh you'll sleep all right. If you must watch it, watch it on Cinemax like I did. Don't dare spend any money on this. I pray you can get through it. Wow this was boring! I can't say it enough.

ON DA HOLE
on da hole its a geat film it goes through different elements of hip hop. da film is dope. its da hip/hop background with a touch or comedy. its abit to do with love but mainly talks about hip/hop which is dope. definatley pick it up

Keeping It Real!
I like the movie as far as the relationship of Dre and Sidney. I liked how they based their relationship of friendship around
Hip-Hop! They kept it real as far as that goes as well as unique. The acting was on point. The movie also reminded me of my past relationship with my Ex-boyfriend. So I naturally had a instant connection with Brown Sugar the first day I saw it in the theater. So I definitely recommend this movie. It's a good one to add to a video collection! ... Read more

Reviews (52)

Good on the lovin, lukewarm on the music
A ... urban romance, "Brown Sugar" blurs the line between love and hip-hop, examining, with sharp humor, the courtship subtleties among upwardly mobile black Americans. The movie is also a commentary on the state of rap music, a half-baked "real is truth, gimmick is whack" tribute that eats up far too much screen time and dilutes some of the chemistry between the movie's six principals.

Taye Diggs is Dre, a record-executive-in-training smitten with hip-hop journalist Sid (Sanaa Lathan), and she with him, since grade school, when they made eyes over a rap song. Neither admits the attraction and for Dre there's a drop-dead lawyer named Reese (Nicole Ari Parker) waiting in the wings for a marriage proposal. Sid is stung, and she falls for an NBA player, Kelby (Boris Kodjoe), a smooth, get-what-I-want rapper-on-side. Rounding out the sextet is Queen Latifah as Sid's mouthy best friend, and Mos Def as a talented emcee Dre would like to promote on a new label. His own.

Though Diggs and Lathan are the fated couple of "Brown Sugar," co-screenwriters Mike Elliot and Rick Famuyiwa - who also directed - are smart enough to offer Dre and Sid realistic, appealing alternatives. Reese and Kelby are imperfect matches for the respective leads, but their flaws aren't immediately revealed, and when coupling cracks begin to deepen, the blame bleeds to both sides. Parker - memorable as a bit player in "Boogie Nights" and "The End of Violence" - is particularly good as an ambitious-yet-ultimately-decent uptown girl looking to introduce Dre to the society's upper crust. A very good scene at a New Year's Eve dinner party argues, persuasively, that best friends share some moments spouses never will. Lathan works a variation of her beautiful nerd performance in "Love and Basketball," while Diggs, again, is literate and smooth.

"Brown Sugar" is a quieter, more observant picture than some of its predecessors, and yet it doubles as a hammy, idealistic treatise on hip-hop; the movie opens with a series of documentary interviews as current rap artists recount the moment they first fell in love with the music. The script then talks around the subject - casting Queen Latifah and Mos Def is apparently message enough - while failing to indict a music industry that essentially leaves the future of the artists in the hands of one radio station - Hot 97 - to decide who gets airplay, and who doesn't. The movie takes great pains to scold sellouts and one-hit wonders without aiming its arrow at the point-of-entry corruption that rewards such behavior.

But no matter. "Brown Sugar" projects a mature realism on love reaching beyond the limited hip-hop plot. It's a credit to the director, and the performances, that as Dre and Sid unthaw to one another, it's about more than a collection of verses over beats.

too true!
This movie was sort of an outcry to musicians to stop this mess that is out now. So called hip hop and rap have been run amok, has been ever since the demise of 2pac and biggie. Lost even more when Jam Jay took the loss shortly after the movie's release. What this movie stands for on top of that though, is that you have to stand up for what u want. Taye and Sanaa wanted each other, but let it slide for quite a while. Even put up with a marriage and an engagement before the two realized they were meant to be more than friends. Even with all that the underlying meaning of the whole thing was that hip hop/rap sucks now. Sanaa even says "what's the differance between loving someone and being in love with them? The same as the differance between hip hop and rap. Loving someone is just saying the words." Just like rap is meaningless b.s. and hip hop was an entire movement, way of life and emotion. Rap is garbage and it's making everyone else look like crap too. But I like the movie. and I love what it had to say in a roundabout way.

Even a Good Cast Couldn't Save This
I am sorry. I loved the cast and I tried with all my heart to feel what the film was about but this was the most boring film I have seen in a long time! With actors like Taye Diggs and Queen Latifah I expected at least some tip-top comedy wisecracking. I nearly fell asleep the first five minutes and I tried my darnest to stick with the movie but I quit watching after the first hour. I couldn't hang on any longer. This is a very boring movie. I don't know what the heck went wrong. The dialogue is pointless and goes nowhere. They talked on and on about nothing! I kept waiting for some sparks to fly instead I ended up slapping myself to keep from dozing. Sanaa Lathan and Taye Diggs are talented but they have no chemistry whatsoever. Queen Latifah was wasted and...the movie was just plain pointless. It tries to be the Love Jones of the millennium but it doesn't even come close. Love Jones had charisma Brown Sugar doesn't do anything at all. It doesn't make you care about the characters or if they end up together. You just keep wishing it would go a little faster. I've stood in DMV lines that were more exciting then this! At least the DMV lines moved eventually. Don't hate me folks because I tried to give this film the benefit of the doubt but something wasn't working. I can't recommend this to anyone. This was supposed to be like Sleepless in Seattle, oh you'll sleep all right. If you must watch it, watch it on Cinemax like I did. Don't dare spend any money on this. I pray you can get through it. Wow this was boring! I can't say it enough.

ON DA HOLE
on da hole its a geat film it goes through different elements of hip hop. da film is dope. its da hip/hop background with a touch or comedy. its abit to do with love but mainly talks about hip/hop which is dope. definatley pick it up

Keeping It Real!
I like the movie as far as the relationship of Dre and Sidney. I liked how they based their relationship of friendship around
Hip-Hop! They kept it real as far as that goes as well as unique. The acting was on point. The movie also reminded me of my past relationship with my Ex-boyfriend. So I naturally had a instant connection with Brown Sugar the first day I saw it in the theater. So I definitely recommend this movie. It's a good one to add to a video collection! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Mario Van Peebles directed as well as starred in this ham-fisted, 1993 Western with a predominantly African American cast. The story finds a posse of black shooters (with one white member, played by Stephen Baldwin) taking on a racist sheriff and military man, but Van Peebles's effort at mixing convention with hip credentials gets pretty grating. (Tone Loc makes the worst cowboy in film history.) The film is also incredibly sexist, going well beyond the usual frontier-floozy clichés and lapsing into the sort of blatant exploitation one found at that time in rap-music videos. There are lots of cameo appearances from familiar folks willing to support Van Peebles on a project that probably sounded like a mix of experiment and event--Pam Grier, Isaac Hayes, Woody Strode, and the director's father, Melvin Van Peebles. But even they can't help. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (10)

A popcorn movie that teaches. We need more like this.
Mario Van Peebles "Posse" is a movie with flaws, but it treats its source material with respect. Unlike the shallow and silly "Rosewood" Van Peebles "Posse" gives viewers a clear picture of what life was like for African-American cowboys at the turn of the century. We get to know characters in the story. The production values are low budget, and several roles are miscast, but Van Peebles' heart is in every second of this film. He loves the material and wants us to learn as much about these forgotten black heroes as he has. Part "spaghetti western", part action flick, part historical drama, Posse is a lot of fun to watch. Mario Van Peebles, Billy Zane, Melvin Van Peebles and Salli Richardson in her first role are great. Tis one is worth owining for your collection.

Brings Old West Back to Life
Mario Van Peebles Posse' brought a new perspective about the west. This was the first western in many years to feature a predominately African-American cast. Stephen Baldwin was great in his potrayal of Lil' Jay. Very educational movie.

Better than the "editorial review" thinks it is
Tom Keogh, whomever he may be, is quite mistaken about the quality of Mario Van Peebles film, which is somewhat more than simply a "black western." Despite the "camp" appearances of several black celebrities, Peebles brings to the film an arresting visual quality and an iconoclastic, unmistakably "dark" [no pun intended] perspective on How the West Was Lost, which is one of the biggest tragedies of American history. The historical background is suitably complex, tieing in references to the Spanish-American War. Although the lead character's gunslinging talents are made too much of, this is far from cliche.

Correcting History.
Mario Van Peebles directed and starred in this film about a group of African-American soldiers (and one white one) on the run from a corrupt military officer. The officer (Billy Zane) had the posse steal some gold from Cuba during the Spanish-American War. He planned to kill them afterwards, but the group proved stronger than he thought and they escaped. They come back to the states and follow Jesse (Van Peebles) to the dream town of his deceased father in west Texas. Jesse has some inner demons to silence and they won't be still until he has settled an aged score.

The film is interesting. However, the movie relies heavily upon typical Western cliches which dampen some of the it's uniqueness. Nevertheless, the film does raise awareness about all the black cowboys and settlers that were so instrumental in taming the West that most people don't even know existed. An educational film that is quite entertaining to watch.

The Posse
This is the best movie ever made! The best character in this movie was Little J played by Stephen Baldwin! I dont own the DVD version though, I have the VHS! I'm Looking forward to having the DVD just to brag about it to all my friends! ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Great movie, great fun
... sure it's not the best movie ever, but great if you like this type of comedy...
It's been years since I last saw this movie though, but I might buy it next month (Depends on if I get enough money to buy it)

Good ideas. poor execution. Meteor Man is very very rocky.
Robert Townsend's the Meteor Man was supposed to be a satire of Comic books and Superheroes. Unfortunately, it's a poor copy of the Batman TV show of the 60's without any of the humor. Townsend makes a ton of mistakes here and all of them make the movie one of the worst you'll ever see.
Meteor Man could have been a lot of fun to watch; a black superhero satire film is really an interesting premise. While Townsend is very good at satire he doesn't know that the method of acting in this type of satire is actually "Camp." In order to make fun of Comic books and Superheroes you must understand the mechanics of comedy and what style works best to tell the jokes in. Superheroes are already farfetched and the only way to poke fun at them in their world is for the characters to take themselves seriously. Unfortunately, Townsend tells to cast to take their roles for a joke and that's a big mistake. "Camp" only works when the actors play their roles seriously. The serious performances working in tandem with the satiric jokes pokes fun at the ridiculousness of the situations the hero involves himself in as opposed to how it's seen in the real world and that's what makes it funny. When the actors are aware of the joke we can't laugh with them or at them. Contrast MM to the Batman TV show, Wild Wild West, or Sam Raimi's Hercules, Xena, or even the Tick TV series. In each of these shows the actors take their roles so seriously that we laugh at how absurd the situations are as opposed to the real world. We know about the jokes that the characters don't.
Townsend's second mistake was casting big name stars in the film. To make Camp work you need to cast unknown actors in the roles so they blend into the characters. People Like Bill Cosby, Luther Vandross and James Earl Jones stand out like sore thumbs in this film and look so ridiculous that we can't laugh at the jokes they tell. The use of then rapper Big Daddy Kane, commedian Sinbad and the group Another Bad creation wearing bad blond fades just look cartoonish. Smaller actors taking their roles seriously would have made this work.
Townsend's third and final mistake in this film was the script. It's not serious. It makes comic books look cartoonish. On top of that it's preachy and shallow; it's clear that he didn't research comic books or superheroes at all before writing it. The origin and the powers of the meteor man come together so poorly that we can't suspend our disbelief at his superhuman abilities. A meteor slamming into a man would kill him, not give him powers. Him toching a meteor rock and getting powers would make sense. On top of that his powers are inconsistent. Flight and Super Strength make sense but the ability to read any book by touching it had me scratching my head.
I don't see this film as a creative failure for Robert Townsend. I'm glad he tried to do something different and original with a Black film. Meteor Man had the potential to be something great, however, Townsend didn't do the necessary research to make this type of comedy work. He might have watched the old Batman show for reference, but didn't take the time to dissect the jokes to understand what made them funny like he did in his great first film Hollywood Shuffle. I'm hoping someone tries another film like this because I think someone who understands the style of humor that camp is could make a truly great film.

Worst movie I have seen in a long time.
There are dozens of clever, offbeat films worth watching, but this isn't one of them. Makes Pootie Tang look like an Oscar winner.

One of my Favs.
I Thought this movie was good maybe not the best but i thought it was good. many cameo appearances many celebs. Even though some people thought the movie wasnt that funny i thought it was. Especially the last scene. I cant wait til it comes out on dvd february 18th. Im definetly getting it and i think you should too.

What can you say?
Even though actors like Bill Cosby appear in this movie, Robert Townsend's acting and directing of humor is sadly unfocused and becomes little more then sad at trying to be funny, when it is not. ... Read more

Reviews (52)

Good on the lovin, lukewarm on the music
A ... urban romance, "Brown Sugar" blurs the line between love and hip-hop, examining, with sharp humor, the courtship subtleties among upwardly mobile black Americans. The movie is also a commentary on the state of rap music, a half-baked "real is truth, gimmick is whack" tribute that eats up far too much screen time and dilutes some of the chemistry between the movie's six principals.

Taye Diggs is Dre, a record-executive-in-training smitten with hip-hop journalist Sid (Sanaa Lathan), and she with him, since grade school, when they made eyes over a rap song. Neither admits the attraction and for Dre there's a drop-dead lawyer named Reese (Nicole Ari Parker) waiting in the wings for a marriage proposal. Sid is stung, and she falls for an NBA player, Kelby (Boris Kodjoe), a smooth, get-what-I-want rapper-on-side. Rounding out the sextet is Queen Latifah as Sid's mouthy best friend, and Mos Def as a talented emcee Dre would like to promote on a new label. His own.

Though Diggs and Lathan are the fated couple of "Brown Sugar," co-screenwriters Mike Elliot and Rick Famuyiwa - who also directed - are smart enough to offer Dre and Sid realistic, appealing alternatives. Reese and Kelby are imperfect matches for the respective leads, but their flaws aren't immediately revealed, and when coupling cracks begin to deepen, the blame bleeds to both sides. Parker - memorable as a bit player in "Boogie Nights" and "The End of Violence" - is particularly good as an ambitious-yet-ultimately-decent uptown girl looking to introduce Dre to the society's upper crust. A very good scene at a New Year's Eve dinner party argues, persuasively, that best friends share some moments spouses never will. Lathan works a variation of her beautiful nerd performance in "Love and Basketball," while Diggs, again, is literate and smooth.

"Brown Sugar" is a quieter, more observant picture than some of its predecessors, and yet it doubles as a hammy, idealistic treatise on hip-hop; the movie opens with a series of documentary interviews as current rap artists recount the moment they first fell in love with the music. The script then talks around the subject - casting Queen Latifah and Mos Def is apparently message enough - while failing to indict a music industry that essentially leaves the future of the artists in the hands of one radio station - Hot 97 - to decide who gets airplay, and who doesn't. The movie takes great pains to scold sellouts and one-hit wonders without aiming its arrow at the point-of-entry corruption that rewards such behavior.

But no matter. "Brown Sugar" projects a mature realism on love reaching beyond the limited hip-hop plot. It's a credit to the director, and the performances, that as Dre and Sid unthaw to one another, it's about more than a collection of verses over beats.

too true!
This movie was sort of an outcry to musicians to stop this mess that is out now. So called hip hop and rap have been run amok, has been ever since the demise of 2pac and biggie. Lost even more when Jam Jay took the loss shortly after the movie's release. What this movie stands for on top of that though, is that you have to stand up for what u want. Taye and Sanaa wanted each other, but let it slide for quite a while. Even put up with a marriage and an engagement before the two realized they were meant to be more than friends. Even with all that the underlying meaning of the whole thing was that hip hop/rap sucks now. Sanaa even says "what's the differance between loving someone and being in love with them? The same as the differance between hip hop and rap. Loving someone is just saying the words." Just like rap is meaningless b.s. and hip hop was an entire movement, way of life and emotion. Rap is garbage and it's making everyone else look like crap too. But I like the movie. and I love what it had to say in a roundabout way.

Even a Good Cast Couldn't Save This
I am sorry. I loved the cast and I tried with all my heart to feel what the film was about but this was the most boring film I have seen in a long time! With actors like Taye Diggs and Queen Latifah I expected at least some tip-top comedy wisecracking. I nearly fell asleep the first five minutes and I tried my darnest to stick with the movie but I quit watching after the first hour. I couldn't hang on any longer. This is a very boring movie. I don't know what the heck went wrong. The dialogue is pointless and goes nowhere. They talked on and on about nothing! I kept waiting for some sparks to fly instead I ended up slapping myself to keep from dozing. Sanaa Lathan and Taye Diggs are talented but they have no chemistry whatsoever. Queen Latifah was wasted and...the movie was just plain pointless. It tries to be the Love Jones of the millennium but it doesn't even come close. Love Jones had charisma Brown Sugar doesn't do anything at all. It doesn't make you care about the characters or if they end up together. You just keep wishing it would go a little faster. I've stood in DMV lines that were more exciting then this! At least the DMV lines moved eventually. Don't hate me folks because I tried to give this film the benefit of the doubt but something wasn't working. I can't recommend this to anyone. This was supposed to be like Sleepless in Seattle, oh you'll sleep all right. If you must watch it, watch it on Cinemax like I did. Don't dare spend any money on this. I pray you can get through it. Wow this was boring! I can't say it enough.

ON DA HOLE
on da hole its a geat film it goes through different elements of hip hop. da film is dope. its da hip/hop background with a touch or comedy. its abit to do with love but mainly talks about hip/hop which is dope. definatley pick it up

Keeping It Real!
I like the movie as far as the relationship of Dre and Sidney. I liked how they based their relationship of friendship around
Hip-Hop! They kept it real as far as that goes as well as unique. The acting was on point. The movie also reminded me of my past relationship with my Ex-boyfriend. So I naturally had a instant connection with Brown Sugar the first day I saw it in the theater. So I definitely recommend this movie. It's a good one to add to a video collection! ... Read more

Reviews (52)

Good on the lovin, lukewarm on the music
A ... urban romance, "Brown Sugar" blurs the line between love and hip-hop, examining, with sharp humor, the courtship subtleties among upwardly mobile black Americans. The movie is also a commentary on the state of rap music, a half-baked "real is truth, gimmick is whack" tribute that eats up far too much screen time and dilutes some of the chemistry between the movie's six principals.

Taye Diggs is Dre, a record-executive-in-training smitten with hip-hop journalist Sid (Sanaa Lathan), and she with him, since grade school, when they made eyes over a rap song. Neither admits the attraction and for Dre there's a drop-dead lawyer named Reese (Nicole Ari Parker) waiting in the wings for a marriage proposal. Sid is stung, and she falls for an NBA player, Kelby (Boris Kodjoe), a smooth, get-what-I-want rapper-on-side. Rounding out the sextet is Queen Latifah as Sid's mouthy best friend, and Mos Def as a talented emcee Dre would like to promote on a new label. His own.

Though Diggs and Lathan are the fated couple of "Brown Sugar," co-screenwriters Mike Elliot and Rick Famuyiwa - who also directed - are smart enough to offer Dre and Sid realistic, appealing alternatives. Reese and Kelby are imperfect matches for the respective leads, but their flaws aren't immediately revealed, and when coupling cracks begin to deepen, the blame bleeds to both sides. Parker - memorable as a bit player in "Boogie Nights" and "The End of Violence" - is particularly good as an ambitious-yet-ultimately-decent uptown girl looking to introduce Dre to the society's upper crust. A very good scene at a New Year's Eve dinner party argues, persuasively, that best friends share some moments spouses never will. Lathan works a variation of her beautiful nerd performance in "Love and Basketball," while Diggs, again, is literate and smooth.

"Brown Sugar" is a quieter, more observant picture than some of its predecessors, and yet it doubles as a hammy, idealistic treatise on hip-hop; the movie opens with a series of documentary interviews as current rap artists recount the moment they first fell in love with the music. The script then talks around the subject - casting Queen Latifah and Mos Def is apparently message enough - while failing to indict a music industry that essentially leaves the future of the artists in the hands of one radio station - Hot 97 - to decide who gets airplay, and who doesn't. The movie takes great pains to scold sellouts and one-hit wonders without aiming its arrow at the point-of-entry corruption that rewards such behavior.

But no matter. "Brown Sugar" projects a mature realism on love reaching beyond the limited hip-hop plot. It's a credit to the director, and the performances, that as Dre and Sid unthaw to one another, it's about more than a collection of verses over beats.

too true!
This movie was sort of an outcry to musicians to stop this mess that is out now. So called hip hop and rap have been run amok, has been ever since the demise of 2pac and biggie. Lost even more when Jam Jay took the loss shortly after the movie's release. What this movie stands for on top of that though, is that you have to stand up for what u want. Taye and Sanaa wanted each other, but let it slide for quite a while. Even put up with a marriage and an engagement before the two realized they were meant to be more than friends. Even with all that the underlying meaning of the whole thing was that hip hop/rap sucks now. Sanaa even says "what's the differance between loving someone and being in love with them? The same as the differance between hip hop and rap. Loving someone is just saying the words." Just like rap is meaningless b.s. and hip hop was an entire movement, way of life and emotion. Rap is garbage and it's making everyone else look like crap too. But I like the movie. and I love what it had to say in a roundabout way.

Even a Good Cast Couldn't Save This
I am sorry. I loved the cast and I tried with all my heart to feel what the film was about but this was the most boring film I have seen in a long time! With actors like Taye Diggs and Queen Latifah I expected at least some tip-top comedy wisecracking. I nearly fell asleep the first five minutes and I tried my darnest to stick with the movie but I quit watching after the first hour. I couldn't hang on any longer. This is a very boring movie. I don't know what the heck went wrong. The dialogue is pointless and goes nowhere. They talked on and on about nothing! I kept waiting for some sparks to fly instead I ended up slapping myself to keep from dozing. Sanaa Lathan and Taye Diggs are talented but they have no chemistry whatsoever. Queen Latifah was wasted and...the movie was just plain pointless. It tries to be the Love Jones of the millennium but it doesn't even come close. Love Jones had charisma Brown Sugar doesn't do anything at all. It doesn't make you care about the characters or if they end up together. You just keep wishing it would go a little faster. I've stood in DMV lines that were more exciting then this! At least the DMV lines moved eventually. Don't hate me folks because I tried to give this film the benefit of the doubt but something wasn't working. I can't recommend this to anyone. This was supposed to be like Sleepless in Seattle, oh you'll sleep all right. If you must watch it, watch it on Cinemax like I did. Don't dare spend any money on this. I pray you can get through it. Wow this was boring! I can't say it enough.

ON DA HOLE
on da hole its a geat film it goes through different elements of hip hop. da film is dope. its da hip/hop background with a touch or comedy. its abit to do with love but mainly talks about hip/hop which is dope. definatley pick it up

Keeping It Real!
I like the movie as far as the relationship of Dre and Sidney. I liked how they based their relationship of friendship around
Hip-Hop! They kept it real as far as that goes as well as unique. The acting was on point. The movie also reminded me of my past relationship with my Ex-boyfriend. So I naturally had a instant connection with Brown Sugar the first day I saw it in the theater. So I definitely recommend this movie. It's a good one to add to a video collection! ... Read more