Brother to Brother

Brother to Brother was not the film that I thought I would see -- which I gladly welcomed. The film is promoted as being about gay artists in the Harlem

Renaissance. This is only a small portion of this story -- specifically seen

through the eyes of one character.

The film features the friendship of two artists from different eras. Both are black men, gay and self-confident. The script brilliantly weaves a narrative that

illustrates the personal and political struggles that each man addresses in the past and present. Most of the story is free of hackneyed predictable plot twists. Complex issues regarding interracial relationships and objectification are

introduced in a very delicate manner -- great food for thought. Characters such as the two leads are rarely seen in film -- commercial or indie. The

performances by the entire cast is very strong, particularly by the actor

portraying Bruce Nugent. Having been one of the few who saw Spike Lee's

"She Hate Me," I was pleasantly surprised to see Anthony Mackie in the lead

role also providing a very strong performance.

One pet-peave that was distracting: cinematography. Many scenes are shot out

of focus -- not good, particularly in a somewhat dramatic scene with Langston Hughes and the younger Bruce. Even with a shoestring budget, there is no

excuse for showing sloppy work. Aside from this minor flaw in the film, I found extremely refreshing and worth discussing.