Waiting outside the theater for the 11 a.m. screening of THE BROTHERS, I befriended the Screen Gems representative, who was also milling around outside. I asked him what the film was about, as I hadn’t seen any television previews or been able to locate a website for the film. Surprisingly, he had no knowledge of the plot either. So I went into the theater knowing only that the movie starred four of the hottest young black actors around today.

The unknown piece of cinema turned out to be sort of a male version of WAITING TO EXHALE and the more I think about it, the more I like it. THE BROTHERS follows four young professionals with women problems: Terry (Moore), Derek (Hughley), Brian (Bellamy), and Jackson (Chestnut). It’s a classic tale of women coming between a close knit group of male friends, but somehow the concept doesn’t feel tired or boring. Basically the film boils down to the search for, as the brothers’ put it “Love, happiness, and all that other shit.” They go through a lot to get it, but of course, everything works out well in the end.

Hardwick, still a fledgling director with only TRIPPIN’ to his credit before this film, hasn’t quite found his directorial voice yet, but shows promise. Lack of cinematic innovation poses little problem to a film like THE BROTHERS, which relies more on star appeal and sentimentality than photography and shot blocking.

Bellamy and Hughley both show a depth of dramatic acting that surprised me, as they are mainly known for comedic television roles. Actually, the acting throughout the film was quite good, in scenes that range from the tear-inducing to the downright funny.

THE BROTHERS, when all is said and done, is a good movie. A date movie/chick flick to be sure, but a worthwhile one. See it with your special someone and go home happy that your relationship cannot possibly be as crazy as the ones in the film. (Yeah, right!)

—Renae Bolen

hybridCinema Ratings Guide:

Take a pal and pay full price for both tickets.

It’s worth a full-price ticket.

It’s worth a matinee ticket.

Wait for video rental.

Check out the video from the library, if you must.

While we would never encourage anyone to destroy a video...