Director: Rachael Holder
Writer: Paul Zimmerman
Stars: André Holland, Nicole Beharie, Roy Wood, Jr.
Synopsis: Three longtime Brooklynites navigate careers, love, loss, and friendship against the rapidly changing landscape of their beloved city.
A lot of people don’t understand how much it takes for a film to be made. There are a lot of moving parts that aren’t largely seen by the public. It’s always a beautiful thing to see filmmakers that look like me being able to make the movies that they want to make without studio interference. Rachael Abigail Holder’s debut feature film Love, Brooklyn is a tight, 90-minute movie that tells the story of Roger (Andre Holland). He’s an editorial writer from Brooklyn that’s going through the motions and adjusting to his once vibrant and unique Brooklyn turn into an unrecognizable place. He’s a huge procrastinator that constantly puts off his work, gets high, enjoys shopping for unnecessary things, and hangs out with two beautiful and successful women. Roger’s new fling Nicole played by the gorgeous and compelling Dewanda Wise and his ex Casey played by the always infectious and charismatic Nicole Beharie.
Casey and Nicole are total opposites in Roger’s world. Casey and Roger have a playful relationship that is friendly and public, while Roger and Nicole are very private and laid back. Nicole has a daughter named Ally from a past relationship, which is a tough thing to get used to for Roger because he feels like he’s not good with kids and that he ends up acting awkward with them. Throughout the film, we see how Roger’s interactions with the women in his life affect his mood and his actions that play out. Holland’s Roger is a character that marches to the beat of his own drum. He’s single, charming, and living his life day-by-day. He reminds me of myself when I was single and just out here living life and working with no ties. The actors in Love, Brooklyn really elevate the words off the page with their great acting.
Luckily, we can see this movie from more than Roger’s point of view. Roger is kind of an unreliable character and he doesn’t really have a lot to him that we get in the movie. Casey is the owner of an art gallery in Brooklyn. She’s not happy with the current state of her gallery, as developers of the neighborhood are constantly pursuing her to buy her business, plus she’s lonely. Her relationship with Roger is complicated due to their past and Roger’s present situation with Nicole. Casey and Roger are constantly hanging out together and she tends to call on him whenever she needs someone to lean on. But when he’s not available, she gets annoyed and slightly jealous. Due to the vulnerability and the comedic skill that Beharie brings to her role as Casey, I don’t think that there’s another actress that could’ve done a better job portraying this complex character. Now let’s talk about Dewanda Wise’s Nicole. She’s a single mother that is navigating this new life after losing her husband due to a horrible accident. Being with Roger provides an escape from her daily life. Things become a little tricky when her daughter Ally wants to spend time with Roger. She’s welcome to the idea of it and she sets up some play time for them both. There’s a moment in the film (that I won’t reveal) that tests her emotions and her feelings for Roger. Wise has had some good opportunities so far in her career, but this role is one that will attract more attention to her, and it will hopefully lead people to delve into her filmography. If anything, I would compare this role to her first leading role as Nola Daring in the She’s Gotta Have It Netflix tv series.
There’s no shortage of supporting characters in this film that makes it even better. For instance, Roy Wood Jr. plays Roger’s friend Alan. While he doesn’t get a lot of screentime, the hilarious and wise Wood Jr. manages to create a memorable character, especially considering the limited amount he is given from the director and the script. A lot of his demeanor and personality from his stand-up specials come out in his character in this movie. Cassandra Freeman (of Peacock’s Bel Air) plays Lorna, a friend of Roger, Casey, and Alan. She’s an uppity socialite that’s constantly bragging about where she’s traveled to, the materialistic things she acquires, and more. I think that Paul Zimmerman’s script is delightful and realistic, but I can’t help but think that it could’ve been better with some more things added. I think the movie needed more supporting characters that could’ve interacted with the three leads. They could’ve been friends, family members, people they met on the streets, etc. The music and the cinematography in this film are like characters themselves. This and Highest 2 Lowest feature some of the best music and images of New York that I have seen this year.
A huge plus that this movie has is that there aren’t really any traumatic events that happen in it regarding racism, police brutality, etc. This movie didn’t need that at all. A writer will sprinkle in a dash of each of these things when a movie has a predominantly Black cast. A lot of studios must think that the only way for audiences to connect with a Black cast on an emotional level is if these things are a part of the story. If these plot points don’t add anything of significance then why bother? Love, Brooklyn didn’t really need those plot points because they wouldn’t have added anything to the story that advanced it or made it better.
The film was funded by the legendary Steven Soderbergh after struggling to find a budget. I am happy that he took a chance on Holder because a lot of big studio execs won’t give Black female filmmakers any kind of assistance unless their movie wins a ton of awards at festivals, has a plot that they really connect to, etc. Soderbergh is a pioneer in the industry and over the decades he has crafted a strong eye for new talent. Personally, I am glad that filmmakers like Holder are being given a chance to flourish and be seen.
