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Brother (2022 film)

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Brother
Theatrical release poster
Directed byClement Virgo
Written byClement Virgo
Based onBrother by David Chariandy
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyGuy Godfree
Edited byKye Meechan
Production
companies
  • Hawkeye Pictures
  • Conquering Lion Pictures
Distributed byElevation Pictures, Vertical Entertainment, ShutterSTOCK Liner Entertainment
Release date
  • September 9, 2022 (2022-09-09) (TIFF)
Running time
120 minutes[1]
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish

Brother is a 2022 Canadian drama film, written, produced and directed by Clement Virgo.[2] An adaptation of David Chariandy's award-winning novel of the same name,[3] the film centres on the relationship between Francis and Michael, two Black Canadian brothers growing up in the Scarborough district of Toronto, Ontario in the early 1990s.[4]

The film stars Aaron Pierre as Francis and Lamar Johnson as Michael, with supporting cast members including Kiana Madeira, Marsha Stephanie Blake, Lovell Adams-Gray, Maurice Dean Wint, and Dwain Murphy.

The novel's optioning for film was announced in 2018,[3] and the film went into production in fall 2021.[5] It is the second Canadian film in as many years, following Scarborough in 2021, to be set in the Galloway Road neighbourhood of Scarborough,[4] and Virgo's first theatrical feature film since 2007's Poor Boy's Game.

The film premiered at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2022.[6] It was also screened as the closing film of the 2022 Calgary International Film Festival and as the opening film of the 2022 FIN Atlantic Film Festival.[7]

Synopsis

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Francis and Michael are brothers living in Canada and sons of Caribbean immigrants from Jamaica. In the summer of 1991, the young men immerse themselves in the hip-hop scene of Toronto's Scarborough.

When his childhood sweetheart Aisha returns to their neighborhood for the first time in 10 years, Michael is forced to reconsider a family tragedy. Growing up as young black boys in a neighborhood prone to gang violence and police brutality, his older brother Francis had to be Michael's best friend, protector and even parent at the same time, because their single mother worked shifts as a nurse. As they grew older, Francis and Michael parted ways, but the unconditional love between the brothers and their mother continued.

The film uses a non-linear structure, switching back and forth between the boys' childhood, their teen years leading up to Francis's death, and the lingering aftermath of Francis's death, all building toward the ultimate revelation in the film's climax of how Francis died.

Although the film doesn't explicitly address LGBTQ themes in dialogue, a key scene toward the end of the film depicts Francis being physically intimate with his friend Jelly, suggesting that some of his emotional issues around their father's absence from their lives stem from being either gay or bisexual.

Cast

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Reception

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Critical response

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 87% of 45 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.5/10. The website's consensus reads: "Deeply felt and emotionally resonant, Brother overcomes its imposing length and a certain narrative familiarity with riveting performances and stunning cinematography."[8]

In The Globe and Mail, Barry Hertz wrote, "The spirit of what Scarborough represents – for Chariandy, and for Clement – is undoubtedly present in every lovingly composed frame of Brother."[9] Peter Howell, film critic for The Toronto Star gave the film 3.5 out of 5 stars and added, "A world is revealed, brilliantly."[10] Brian Tallerico, editor for the film review website RogerEbert.com published, "There’s such gracefulness to the filmmaking here, cutting back and forth across time, building like a thriller."[11]

For Deadline Hollywood, Valerie Complex wrote that "Brother is a film that reaffirms why I love movies. The narrative asks so many vital questions about Black life and masculinity, but most of all: If Black boys are raising themselves to adulthood, where do they turn for support? This is the ultimate dilemma Francis and Michael find themselves in. Brother isn’t just another “Black” film. This is a vital piece of cinema that hasn’t received the buzz it deserves. I don’t want to see this fly under the radar, and I hope others will be open-minded enough to witness the genius of Clement Virgo and these young actors."[12]

Accolades

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The film was named to TIFF's annual year-end Canada's Top Ten list for 2022.[13] It won 12 Canadian Screen Awards at the 11th Canadian Screen Awards in 2023, the most awards won by any film in the Canadian Screen Awards era and the best performance by any film since Night Zoo (Un zoo la nuit) won 13 Genie Awards at the 9th Genie Awards in 1988.[14]

Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Black Reel Awards January 16, 2024 Outstanding International Film Clement Virgo Nominated [15]
Canadian Screen Awards April 16, 2023 Best Motion Picture Damon D'Oliveira, Sonya Di Rienzo, Aeschylus Poulos, Clement Virgo Won [16]
Best Director Clement Virgo Won
Best Lead Performance in a Film Lamar Johnson Won
Best Supporting Performance in a Film Marsha Stephanie Blake Nominated
Aaron Pierre Won
Best Adapted Screenplay Clement Virgo Won
Best Art Direction/Production Design Jason Clarke, John Kim, Richard Racicot Won
Best Costume Design Hanna Puley Won
Best Sound Editing Jane Tattersall, David McCallum, Paul Germann, Krystin Hunter, Kevin Banks Won
Best Sound Mixing Richard Penn, Joe Morrow, James Bastable Won
Best Makeup Joan Chell Nominated
Best Hair Tremaine Thomas Won
Best Original Score Todor Kobakov Won
Best Casting in a Film Deirdre Bowen Won
Directors Guild of Canada October 23, 2023 Best Direction in a Feature Film Clement Virgo Nominated [15]
NAACP Image Awards March 16, 2024 Outstanding International Motion Picture Brother Won [17]
Outstanding Independent Motion Picture Won
Outstanding Breakthrough Performance in a Motion Picture Aaron Pierre Nominated
Outstanding Cinematography in a Feature Film Guy Godfree Nominated
Toronto Film Critics Association 2022 Rogers Best Canadian Film Award Brother Nominated [18]
Vancouver Film Critics Circle 2022 Best Director of a Canadian Film Clement Virgo Nominated [19]
Best Actor in a Canadian Film Lamar Johnson Nominated
Best Supporting Actor in a Canadian Film Aaron Pierre Nominated
Best Supporting Actress in a Canadian Film Marsha Stephanie Blake Nominated
Best Screenplay for a Canadian Film Clement Virgo Nominated
WGC Screenwriting Awards 2023 Feature Film Won [20]

References

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  1. ^ "Brother". Irish Film Classification Office. May 24, 2023. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
  2. ^ Barry Hertz, "TIFF to host world premiere of Clement Virgo’s buzzy adaptation of Scarborough-set novel Brother". The Globe and Mail, July 6, 2022.
  3. ^ a b "David Chariandy's novel Brother optioned for film with Clement Virgo at the helm". CBC Books, September 7, 2018.
  4. ^ a b Radheyan Simonpillai, "Brother brings Scarborough to the world" Archived 2022-08-18 at the Wayback Machine. Now, August 17, 2022.
  5. ^ Liza Sardi, "Rising stars assemble for Brother". Playback, October 18, 2021.
  6. ^ "Clement Virgo’s ‘Brother’ to premiere at Toronto International Film Festival". Toronto Star, July 6, 2022.
  7. ^ Stephen Cooke, "FIN Atlantic International Film Festival ready for September return". SaltWire Network, August 24, 2022.
  8. ^ "Brother". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 2023-10-01. Edit this at Wikidata
  9. ^ Hertz, Barry (2023-03-14). "Review: Clement Virgo's beautiful Brother is an instantly essential addition to Toronto cinema canon". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2023-03-17.
  10. ^ Howell, Peter (2022-09-17). "Couldn't make it to TIFF? Here's our guide to the best of the fest, plus what's getting Oscar buzz". The Toronto Star. Retrieved 2023-03-17.
  11. ^ Tallerico, Brian (2022-09-10). "TIFF 2022: Brother, Butcher's Crossing, The Lost King". RogerEbert. Retrieved 2023-03-17.
  12. ^ Valerie Complex, "‘Brother’ Review: Clement Virgo’s Brutally Honest Film About Family And Manhood". Deadline Hollywood, October 18, 2022.
  13. ^ Pat Mullen, "Three Feature Docs Make Canada’s Top Ten". Point of View, December 8, 2022.
  14. ^ Noel Ransome and Nicole Thompson, "Clement Virgo’s film ‘Brother’ wins a record 12 Canadian Screen Awards". The Globe and Mail, April 13, 2023.
  15. ^ a b Taimur Sikander Mirza, "Women Talking leads film nominees for 2023 DGC Awards". Playback, September 20, 2023.
  16. ^ Etan Vlessing, "Canadian Screen Awards: TV Drama ‘The Porter’ Leads With 19 Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter, February 22, 2023.
  17. ^ Jackson, Angelique (January 25, 2024). "Colman Domingo, Ayo Edebiri, Victoria Monét and Usher Lead NAACP Image Award Nominations". Variety. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  18. ^ Pat Mullen, "Toronto Film Critics Name All the Beauty and the Bloodshed Top Doc". Point of View, January 8, 2023.
  19. ^ "Vancouver Film Critics Announce Nominees". Northern Stars. January 23, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  20. ^ Connie Thiessen, "Family Law showrunner Susin Nielsen among winners at WGC Screenwriting Awards". Broadcast Dialogue, April 25, 2023.
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