And, like many multiplex visitors before it, The Brothers makes the mistake of thinking it has uncovered some wise, new insight into the human condition, when, in fact, it's regurgitating pop psychology ideas that are unlikely to be surprising to anyone sitting in the audience. The title characters are four affluent black yuppies who have varying views on issues of intimacy and commitment. At first glance, The Brothers seems like the male equivalent of Waiting to Exhale . It is possible to accuse The Brothers of male-bashing, and, had it been penned by a woman, that charge would have been forthcoming. Hardwick's screenplay is not well-written.
Men are afraid to commit.
They hate being seen as weak. The one sure sign of true love is when the man gives the woman the last bite of food. The various relationships are presented with different degrees of success. The one with the most screen time is that between Jackson and Denise. Likewise, the relationship between Terry and BeBe is weakly drawn, wasting the talent of a couple of likable actors.