Sons of Caribbean immigrants, Francis and Michael face questions of masculinity, identity and family amid the pulsing beat of Toronto's early hip-hop scene.
Content Advisory:
The bond between two brothers in 1990s Scarborough is examined in Brother. Michael (Lamar Johnson) grew up with his older brother Francis (Aaron Pierre) looking after him, while their mother Ruth (Marsha Stephanie Blake) worked late nights. In 2001, Michael lives on his own with a mentally broken Ruth when he is reunited with his former flame Aisha (Kiana Madeira). This spurs memories of Michael’s teenage years in the early 1990s, including what happened to Francis.
Brother Synopsis
Brother is a drama written and directed by Clement Virgo, based on the 2017 novel of the same name by David Chariandy. The film tells the story of two brothers growing up in the then-city of Scarborough in the early 1990s, where they frequently dealt with gang violence and racial profiling by the police. The narrative moves back and forth between three different time periods, including Michael and Francis as children, as teenagers in 1991, and finally, an adult Michael in 2001, trying to put the past to rest.
My Thoughts on Brother
It doesn’t take long to figure out that Brother is about the protagonist Michael and his mother, Ruth, who are still dealing with the apparent death of Michael’s older brother Francis a decade prior. However, Brother does keep the circumstances surrounding what happened to Francis a mystery until the very end, with the eventual reveal being quite relevant in today’s political climate. Brother ends up being a very affecting look and the bond and life of these two brothers in 1990s Scarborough.
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