According to the "Brown Sugar" production notes, screenwriter Michael Elliot ("Like Mike") always had the impression that "all the great love stories weren't ones that had black people in them."
That motivation has yielded an agreeably charming, brightly performed romantic comedy set against the backdrop of hip-hop culture.
Smoothly directed by Rick Famuyiwa, who made his feature debut with 1999's "The Wood", the picture sticks a little too closely to a tried-and-true "When Harry Met Sally ..." format but could see some sweet numbers from an appreciative black female target demo and their male dates, who'll willingly go along for the ride if they know what's good for them.
Chronicling the enduring friendship between music executive Dre (Taye Diggs) and music critic Sidney (Sanaa Lathan), who met 15 years earlier as kids who fell in love with hip-hop during a rap freestyle competition back in New York, the film picks up on their lives at a time of considerable transition.
He's about to marry the gorgeous but materialistic Reese Nicole Ari Parker), an ambitious entertainment lawyer. She's returning to New York after several years of covering the music scene for the Los Angeles Times to become editor of the East Coast hip-hop magazine XXL.
Dre goes through with the marriage even though it's clear to Sidney and much clearer to her best friend Francine (the always-welcome Queen Latifah) that he doesn't love Reese as much as he loves the idea of her.
To further complicate matters, frustrated Dre has quit his job at Millennium Records over their signing of Ren and Ten, a pair of black and white rappers who dress like Dalmatians and have recorded a politically incorrect take-off on Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney's "The Girl Is Mine".
With a little financial assistance from Sidney, Dre starts up his own company and goes after Chris (Mos Def), a real-deal rapper who's weary of selling out. But while Sidney has found herself an attentive boyfriend (Boris Kodjoe), it's readily apparent that there's a bond between her and Dre that goes far beyond their shared musical tastes.
While Famuyiwa and Elliot's hip-hop-as-life metaphor is laid on a little thick in places (Elliot's passion for the music -- he's written for several hip-hop-related publications -- occasionally smothers the script in heavy rhetoric), their characters are nicely dimensional and engagingly portrayed by a talented cast.
The charismatic Diggs is required to gradually shed the slick exec exterior during the film, while Lathan, his castmate from "The Wood", brings a convincing mix of authority and vulnerability to her role. Together they share a playful chemistry that's key to the credibility of their onscreen relationship.
In the obligatory "best friend" roles, Mos Def and Queen Latifah bring considerably more to the parts than what is usually the case. While Queen Latifah isn't given enough screen time, she takes full comedic advantage of the minutes she has. Meanwhile, as the grounded, cab-driving rapper, real-life hip-hop artist Mos Def continues to impress with his acting versatility, previously on display in "Monster's Ball" and on Broadway in "Topdog/Underdog."
Visually, the production -- one of the first to shoot in New York post-9/11 -- is one smooth groove, courtesy of Enrique Chediak's ("The Good Girl") elegant, refined camerawork, production designer Kalina Ivanov's ("Swimfan") finely appointed interiors and costume designer Darryle Johnson's ("Boyz N the Hood") hip fashion sense.
Despite the title, neither D'Angelo nor The Rolling Stones turn up on the soundtrack, which instead is filled with a generous selection of old-school and contemporary hip-hop ranging from Doug. E. Fresh and Slick Rick to Mos Def and Erykah Badu.
BROWN SUGAR
Fox Searchlight
Heller Highwater/Magic Johnson Entertainment
A Rick Famuyiwa film
Credits:
Director: Rick Famuyiwa
Screenwriters: Michael Elliot, Rick Famuyiwa
Story: Michael Elliot
Producer: Peter Heller
Executive producer: Earvin "Magic" Johnson
Director of photography: Enrique Chediak
Production designer: Kalina Ivanov
Editor: Dirk Westervelt
Costume designer: Darryle Johnson
Music: Robert Hurst
Music supervisors: Barry Cole, Christopher Cover
Cast:
Dre: Taye Diggs
Sidney: Sanaa Lathan
Chris: Mos Def
Reese: Nicole Ari Parker
Kelby: Boris Kodjoe
Francine: Queen Latifah
Running time -- 109 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
That motivation has yielded an agreeably charming, brightly performed romantic comedy set against the backdrop of hip-hop culture.
Smoothly directed by Rick Famuyiwa, who made his feature debut with 1999's "The Wood", the picture sticks a little too closely to a tried-and-true "When Harry Met Sally ..." format but could see some sweet numbers from an appreciative black female target demo and their male dates, who'll willingly go along for the ride if they know what's good for them.
Chronicling the enduring friendship between music executive Dre (Taye Diggs) and music critic Sidney (Sanaa Lathan), who met 15 years earlier as kids who fell in love with hip-hop during a rap freestyle competition back in New York, the film picks up on their lives at a time of considerable transition.
He's about to marry the gorgeous but materialistic Reese Nicole Ari Parker), an ambitious entertainment lawyer. She's returning to New York after several years of covering the music scene for the Los Angeles Times to become editor of the East Coast hip-hop magazine XXL.
Dre goes through with the marriage even though it's clear to Sidney and much clearer to her best friend Francine (the always-welcome Queen Latifah) that he doesn't love Reese as much as he loves the idea of her.
To further complicate matters, frustrated Dre has quit his job at Millennium Records over their signing of Ren and Ten, a pair of black and white rappers who dress like Dalmatians and have recorded a politically incorrect take-off on Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney's "The Girl Is Mine".
With a little financial assistance from Sidney, Dre starts up his own company and goes after Chris (Mos Def), a real-deal rapper who's weary of selling out. But while Sidney has found herself an attentive boyfriend (Boris Kodjoe), it's readily apparent that there's a bond between her and Dre that goes far beyond their shared musical tastes.
While Famuyiwa and Elliot's hip-hop-as-life metaphor is laid on a little thick in places (Elliot's passion for the music -- he's written for several hip-hop-related publications -- occasionally smothers the script in heavy rhetoric), their characters are nicely dimensional and engagingly portrayed by a talented cast.
The charismatic Diggs is required to gradually shed the slick exec exterior during the film, while Lathan, his castmate from "The Wood", brings a convincing mix of authority and vulnerability to her role. Together they share a playful chemistry that's key to the credibility of their onscreen relationship.
In the obligatory "best friend" roles, Mos Def and Queen Latifah bring considerably more to the parts than what is usually the case. While Queen Latifah isn't given enough screen time, she takes full comedic advantage of the minutes she has. Meanwhile, as the grounded, cab-driving rapper, real-life hip-hop artist Mos Def continues to impress with his acting versatility, previously on display in "Monster's Ball" and on Broadway in "Topdog/Underdog."
Visually, the production -- one of the first to shoot in New York post-9/11 -- is one smooth groove, courtesy of Enrique Chediak's ("The Good Girl") elegant, refined camerawork, production designer Kalina Ivanov's ("Swimfan") finely appointed interiors and costume designer Darryle Johnson's ("Boyz N the Hood") hip fashion sense.
Despite the title, neither D'Angelo nor The Rolling Stones turn up on the soundtrack, which instead is filled with a generous selection of old-school and contemporary hip-hop ranging from Doug. E. Fresh and Slick Rick to Mos Def and Erykah Badu.
BROWN SUGAR
Fox Searchlight
Heller Highwater/Magic Johnson Entertainment
A Rick Famuyiwa film
Credits:
Director: Rick Famuyiwa
Screenwriters: Michael Elliot, Rick Famuyiwa
Story: Michael Elliot
Producer: Peter Heller
Executive producer: Earvin "Magic" Johnson
Director of photography: Enrique Chediak
Production designer: Kalina Ivanov
Editor: Dirk Westervelt
Costume designer: Darryle Johnson
Music: Robert Hurst
Music supervisors: Barry Cole, Christopher Cover
Cast:
Dre: Taye Diggs
Sidney: Sanaa Lathan
Chris: Mos Def
Reese: Nicole Ari Parker
Kelby: Boris Kodjoe
Francine: Queen Latifah
Running time -- 109 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
- 10/7/2002
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Writer-director Rick Famuyiwa makes a promising feature debut with "The Wood", a warm rite-of-passage comedy.
Nurtured at the Sundance Institute's screenwriters and directors lab, the ensemble piece is something of a hip-hop "Stand by Me" peppered with a little "Wedding Singer" 1980s nostalgia and "American Pie" raunch.
While the picture's shaping and pacing would have benefited from a more seasoned hand, Famuyiwa's richly written, exceptionally well-cast characters strike a pleasant chord.
"The Wood" should do well by its targeted young urban audience, although any significant crossover seems unlikely.
Set in Inglewood, Calif., (the "Wood" in question), the story concerns a trio of best friends from childhood who are experiencing some delayed emotional growing pains.
Just hours before his wedding, Roland (Taye Diggs) has gone AWOL with a bad case of prenuptial jitters, sending buddies Mike (Omar Epps) and Slim (Richard T. Jones) on his trail.
They track him down having a panic attack at the home of an old high school sweetheart (Tamala Jones), and while doing their best to get him sobered up, they begin to reminisce about their carefree lives back in the day when jheri curls, K-Swiss tennis shoes and Guess USA jackets reigned supreme.
Past shares screen time with the present as Young Roland (Trent Cameron), Young Mike (Sean Nelson) and Young Slim (Duane Finley) do impressive renderings of their hormonally driven, teenaged selves.
In fact, all the film's characters are credibly conveyed by the talented cast. In addition to Diggs, Epps and Jones and their younger counterparts, Malinda Williams does effective work as Alicia, the fine but fiery object of Mike's guarded affections, while De'Aundre Bonds is comically on the money as her delinquent big brother.
Writer-director Famuyiwa certainly has a lot of room to grow, as evidenced by the constant shifts back and forth in time, signaled by a close-up of a needle landing on a spinning record, don't always flow smoothly and can get a little old after a while. But he adeptly captures the camaraderie and has a gentle, unforced way with humor.
Production values are strong, particularly Steven Bernstein's ("The Waterboy") energetic camera work and some frighteningly familiar '80s touches from production designers Roger Fortune and Maxine Shepard, not to mention some of costume designer Darryle Johnson's cringe-inducing "period" finds.
Also making his feature debut here is jazz bassist Robert Hurst, who delivers a mellow, unobtrusive score that blends in well with those vintage Luther and Levert slow jams.
THE WOOD
Paramount
An MTV Films production
in association with Bona Fide Prods.
Director-screenwriter: Rick Famuyiwa
Story: Rick Famuyiwa and Todd Boyd
Producers: Albert Berger, Ron Yerxa, David Gale
Executive producer: Van Toffler
Director of photography: Steven Bernstein
Production designers: Roger Fortune and Maxine Shepard
Editor: John Carter
Costume designer: Darryle Johnson
Music supervisor: Pilar McCurry
Music: Robert Hurst
Casting: Mali Finn and Emily Schweber
Color/stereo
Cast:
Mike: Omar Epps
Roland: Taye Diggs
Slim: Richard T. Jones
Young Mike: Sean Nelson
Young Roland: Trent Cameron
Young Slim: Duane Finley
Young Alicia: Malinda Williams
Stacey: De'Aundre Bonds
Tanya: Tamala Jones
Running time -- 106 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
Nurtured at the Sundance Institute's screenwriters and directors lab, the ensemble piece is something of a hip-hop "Stand by Me" peppered with a little "Wedding Singer" 1980s nostalgia and "American Pie" raunch.
While the picture's shaping and pacing would have benefited from a more seasoned hand, Famuyiwa's richly written, exceptionally well-cast characters strike a pleasant chord.
"The Wood" should do well by its targeted young urban audience, although any significant crossover seems unlikely.
Set in Inglewood, Calif., (the "Wood" in question), the story concerns a trio of best friends from childhood who are experiencing some delayed emotional growing pains.
Just hours before his wedding, Roland (Taye Diggs) has gone AWOL with a bad case of prenuptial jitters, sending buddies Mike (Omar Epps) and Slim (Richard T. Jones) on his trail.
They track him down having a panic attack at the home of an old high school sweetheart (Tamala Jones), and while doing their best to get him sobered up, they begin to reminisce about their carefree lives back in the day when jheri curls, K-Swiss tennis shoes and Guess USA jackets reigned supreme.
Past shares screen time with the present as Young Roland (Trent Cameron), Young Mike (Sean Nelson) and Young Slim (Duane Finley) do impressive renderings of their hormonally driven, teenaged selves.
In fact, all the film's characters are credibly conveyed by the talented cast. In addition to Diggs, Epps and Jones and their younger counterparts, Malinda Williams does effective work as Alicia, the fine but fiery object of Mike's guarded affections, while De'Aundre Bonds is comically on the money as her delinquent big brother.
Writer-director Famuyiwa certainly has a lot of room to grow, as evidenced by the constant shifts back and forth in time, signaled by a close-up of a needle landing on a spinning record, don't always flow smoothly and can get a little old after a while. But he adeptly captures the camaraderie and has a gentle, unforced way with humor.
Production values are strong, particularly Steven Bernstein's ("The Waterboy") energetic camera work and some frighteningly familiar '80s touches from production designers Roger Fortune and Maxine Shepard, not to mention some of costume designer Darryle Johnson's cringe-inducing "period" finds.
Also making his feature debut here is jazz bassist Robert Hurst, who delivers a mellow, unobtrusive score that blends in well with those vintage Luther and Levert slow jams.
THE WOOD
Paramount
An MTV Films production
in association with Bona Fide Prods.
Director-screenwriter: Rick Famuyiwa
Story: Rick Famuyiwa and Todd Boyd
Producers: Albert Berger, Ron Yerxa, David Gale
Executive producer: Van Toffler
Director of photography: Steven Bernstein
Production designers: Roger Fortune and Maxine Shepard
Editor: John Carter
Costume designer: Darryle Johnson
Music supervisor: Pilar McCurry
Music: Robert Hurst
Casting: Mali Finn and Emily Schweber
Color/stereo
Cast:
Mike: Omar Epps
Roland: Taye Diggs
Slim: Richard T. Jones
Young Mike: Sean Nelson
Young Roland: Trent Cameron
Young Slim: Duane Finley
Young Alicia: Malinda Williams
Stacey: De'Aundre Bonds
Tanya: Tamala Jones
Running time -- 106 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 7/12/1999
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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