Brother

Withdrawn, and a bit timid and unsure. Their mother (Marsha Stephanie Blake), a Jamaican immigrant, works long hours to support the boys, so Pierre becomes a de facto guardian for Johnson.

Flashing forward 10 years, we learn that Pierre has died and Blake has been nearly catatonic with grief for a decade. When Johnson's ex-girlfriend Kiana Madeira comes to visit, she initiates a chain of events that breaches the cocoon of grief that Johnson and Blake are living in.

This film is really beautifully shot, creating a really vivid sense of place, and it's wonderfully acted by the three leads. It alternates between the two timelines, showing how Pierre's restless ambition (he's involved with the nascent Toronto hip hop scene) and refusal to be anything less than a person with dignity sends him on a tragic spiral, and how the aftermath of this tragedy impacts his family a decade later.

It's got a few issues. It's really deliberate pace slows down a bit too much in the last half hour, and since we sort of see everything from Johnson's perspective, it has trouble making his motives as clear as everyone else's. Still, it's a powerful story well told and acted, and a really vivid depiction of the Toronto Caribbean community.

Great movie, great casting, beautifully shot scenes and visuals, just great storytelling all around! I really enjoyed the movie. After watching Aaron Pierre in Rebel Ridge, I thought his acting was so great that I had to research what else he had been in and I was led to watch this movie, I'm glad I did because he's definitely a star on the rise, I look forward to seeing what else he can do! Was it just me or nah but I thought Michael's girlfriend in the movie was Alicia Keys at first?! I also loved how the movie captured an accurate portrayal of a grieving Mother, I know that feeling all too well :(

Wow. I grew up in Scarborough during that era. Same type of thing. My sister and we're children Jamaican immigrant parents. We lived in several buildings. Super rough areas. It brought back so many memories. We saw a lot of violence. Had a lot of amazing friends in the same situation as me. We all became so close back then. Still are today. I miss the music. They really did the era Justice. The acting was excellent. Story was very believable. I find that hardship can make people's bond in a a way little else does. I wish there were more movies around this time about the way we grew up. Kudos to the actors, director, writer!

Oh goodie, yet another movie that entirely defines black people by the trauma heaped upon them.

"Brother" has some good things going for it, notably a couple of the performances and a strong directorial vision. But it's too funereally paced and it's just so eager to wallow in everything that's depressing about the black experience and nothing that's joyful about it. It also feels behind the times -- the police brutality that plays a key role in this film has been explored a million times already in countless other ways. It's not that it isn't still relevant and urgent, it's just that this movie doesn't say anything about it that hasn't already been said by better movies.

And the LGBTQ storyline that came out of nowhere and is never commented on felt shoehorned into the film just to tick off another diversity box. It made no sense that it would be such a non-issue in the context of this film or in the world these young men live in.

Grade: B-

Based on the novel by David Chariandy: in the 1990s in the Scarborough suburb of Toronto, Ruth (Marsha Stephanie Blake) is a Jamaican immigrant raising her teenage sons Francis (Aaron Pierre) and Michael (Lamar Johnson). Non-linear storytelling is used in three different time periods to show the family's struggles, strengths, and life-changing events.

Many small scenes are used in the storytelling and they work very well. Even though the multiple time lines are challenging at first, this method pays off very well. This is mainly because the later time-frame indicates that a serious change has happened in the middle time period. The viewer is left curious as to what mysterious event will happen in the middle frame as the film is nearing its end. So, while the climax is in the middle time-frame, it ends up being exposed near the film's end rather than in the middle as it would have in a linear time frame.

The film's first half is depressing as it exposes hardships with very few lighter moments to relieve the sadness. While this would be a handicap for other films, "Brother" works well in channeling the mood to melancholy in its last quarter as it pieces all the mysteries together so compassionately. It is also accompanied beautifully by the song "Ne Me Quitte Pas" sung by Nina Simone. In fact, director/writer Clement Virgo uses music beautifully throughout his fine film with an impressive score by Todor Kobakov.

"Brother" uses various themes effectively including police brutality; the poor immigrant experience; exploitive talent contests in the 1990s in Toronto (and the false hope and heartbreak that arise); and the terrible effects from grief. This film is courageous in its detailed focus on grief which is rare and praiseworthy.

The main performances are powerful especially Johnson whose character is the main focus of the film and Blake whose character changes significantly in different time periods. - dbamateurcritic.