Brown Sugar (2002)

Andre 'Dre' Ellis (Taye Diggs) is tired of selling out as A&R in a hip hop label. His lifelong friend Sidney Shaw (Sanaa Lathan) is more concerned about her career as editor-in-chief of a hip hop magazine. Their platonic relationship is thrown for a loop when he tells her that he's marrying Reese Ellis (Nicole Ari Parker). He tells her that men are looking for Brown Sugar, somebody sweet enough to marry and freaky enough for the bed. She's jealous of Reese and Reese notices. Dre and Reese get married but Reese is not that happy when he quits his job to start his own label. Kelby Dawson (Boris Kodjoe) surprises everybody by proposing to Sid. Sid and Dre discover Reese cheating on him.

This is a good functional romance. Sanaa and Taye Diggs are nice actors for the roles. I like Nicole Ari Parker in her role. The hip hop industry insider stuff has to be taken with a grain of salt even though there are a couple of musician actors. It follows a certain formula and that's perfectly fine. I really like the actors and that keeps my interest.

Fmovies: Brown Sugar is hot! I appreciate the writer and producer's creative accomplishment in producing a quality story for this genre. It is refreshing. Taye Diggs showed us another dimension of his talent in this film, by revealing his genuine sense of humor. Sanaa Lathan was captivating in the film. Mos Def proved yet again there is absolutely no limit to this man's ability. Queen Latifah...well...that's all I have to say...I think people immediately want to love her. She appears to be a very giving actress. Nicole Ari Parker can't help but look silky fine! The story was another step forward for films in this genre, it's too bad this script will most likely go unnoticed for Best Screenplay honors. Films like this are ahead of their time.

..........when I heard Spoonie G's Love Rap & Spoonin' Rap. Hip hop was ingrained into me and many native new yorkers just like the movie portrayed it. The movie speaks to my heart, in that hip hop has been romanticized on the big screen....finally!

Sanaa was great, DIggs was great, Mos Def and La were both off the hook. The essence of hip hop was put up on the screen in this movie, so if you didn't know before, you've seen it now.

I went to high school with Slick Rick, Dana Dane and the whole Kangol Crew (Al Sneed, Lance Brown and Omega the Heartbreaker to sum them up) and know them personally. The opening sequence in the park with the three aforementioned rappers doing their thing brought tears to my eyes......that was the purity of hip hop, before millions could be made....these cats were street celebrities that you could reach out and touch at anytime.

The simple fact that the movie is saturated in hip hop culture is enough of a remark for anyone who is in LOVE with hip hop.

ANyone who slammed this movie as dumb or stupid is quite simply cuturally stagnant...you just don't understand.

As far as comments go about the movie's shortcomings.....please, spare me the high-minded movie speak. If you didn't live it, you can't say what is and isn't believable. I KNOW these characters in many different people that I deal with....the director and writers GOT it.

It's like that, y'all!!

Brown Sugar fmovies. I put this movie in the same category as The Wood. Here it's all about an era, were the music meant everything from the DJ to the MC. In the movie you have a brother who loves the music, and a woman who can't understand the brother's love for it and how it seems to drive him. On the flip side you have another woman that understands the brother, and supports the brother (take note ladies SUPPORT we need it). What makes this a good movie, or love story is it could really happen. Imagine finding a supportive soulmate who is down for you, and you could relate to on many levels. However, often times that is never who you end up with for one reason or another. If your feeling this holla back.

This movie is ultimately one of the best love stories i have seen on film.You don't even have to like hip hop to enjoy this movie. It will make you laugh, and it will even make you cry(tears of joy). Lathan and Diggs light up the screen together. It's a beautiful love story which sends a message of how to friends can really fall in love. It will certainly make you think twice about that friend of the opposite sex, that you have known for years, that you find attractive, that doesn't have a mate. It's just a wonderful movie to see, its not too raunchy on language or sex scenes. It's kind of funny how something like hip hop music can join two people together.

A delightful film from the beginning to the end. I liked this film for so many reasons. The primary reasons are the following:

1) A creative and deep look at the impact of hip hip as a music and culture on individuals 2) Beautiful chemistry between the characters Sidney and Dre. 3) Mos Def - period 4) Sanaa Lathan - for her essense as an actress in this film, as well as her amazing beauty. 5) Hip Hop Cameos

The start of the film was especially interesting with the old school (and some new) artists explaining their love of hip hop. I've grown so tired of seeing these new rap films with phony actors like Master P, Snoop, and the Roc-A-Fella crew. It was rewarding to see hip hop artists in a film IN THEIR ELEMENT. With that, I'd like to point out that Mos Def has established himself as one of the few rappers who has sucessfully crossed into the film industry without totally insulting the quality of movies (2pac, Will Smith, Ice-T to some degree, and Eve are a few of the better acting ones).

Aside from the hip-hop aspects, the romantic part of the movie worked very well for me. I really enjoyed the up and down relationship of Sidney and Dre. It helps that I love Sanaa Lathan no doubt, but overall it really was an enjoyable romantic comedy in that aspect. Taye Diggs was cast well as Dre, and I thought he showed a good perspective on the being-real v. getting-money battle that so many in the industry go through.

The Cameos were great with everyone from Russell Simmons to good ol' Angie M. up in the New York Studios. Personally surprising to me was seeing one of the assisant basketball coaches at my univeristy appear as a bartender. Questlove, Kool G. Rap, De La Soul all had good comments.

I can't refrain from commenting on Mos Def's character hitting up on Queen Latifah. hahaha, what a great series of scenes. Also cool was the reappearing blue vase (notice that?).

If you haven't seen the film, go out and rent it. Enjoy! 9/10