This drama about two brothers coming of age in Toronto is imbued with big emotions, but has trouble sustaining its story.
Michael (Lamar Johnson), the protagonist of “Brother,” is a quiet teen often unsure of himself, a trait that is particularly pronounced as he moves through the world next to Francis (Aaron Pierre), his self-possessed and physically imposing older brother. Michael’s coming-of-age story takes place in the shadow of Francis, who wants Michael to learn how to better carry himself. The two teenagers, both Black, are growing up in a poor, largely immigrant neighborhood of Toronto’s Scarborough district.
Written and directed by the Canadian filmmaker Clement Virgo and based on a novel of the same name by David Chariandy, the film flits across time, mostly between Michael as a high schooler, when he follows Francis around Scarborough, and 10 years later, long after tragedy has struck, when Michael has been left to care for their grieving mother, Ruth (Marsha Stephanie Blake).
Shot with a moody, stylized palette and backed by a stirring score, Virgo’s work has the pieces of what it so desperately strives to be: a poignant coming-of-age drama about masculinity, the traps and the fragility of it; about grief; and about the social realities of a certain Black immigrant experience. At times it can be. But it becomes fixated on imbuing itself with solemnity, rather than organically earning it. The ultimately sparse dramatic elements here feel more suited to a short film; in a feature-length production, they become too thin to support the big feelings and weighty themes the movie wants to leave us with.
Brother
Not rated. Running time: 1 hour 59 minutes. In theaters and available to rent or buy on most major platforms.
Source: Movies - nytimes.com
