Brown Sugar MPAA Rating: PG-13 Entertainment: +2 Content: -2

Dre and Sidney (Taye Diggs and Sanaa Lathan) grew up together in the midst of hip-hop music and break-dancing in their New York City neighborhood. Both dreamed of becoming musicians, but instead, Dre becomes an executive at a music production company and Sidney is editor for a hip-hop magazine. Through the years, they keep in touch, still considering themselves best friends. Their friendship, however, interferes with their love lives. Dre marries Reese (Nicole Ari Parker), a successful lawyer, while Sidney becomes engaged to professional athlete Kelby (Boris Kodjoe). But their romantic partners see sparks between Dre and Sidney that are missing in their own relationships. Dres buddy and constant shadow, Chris (rapper Mos Def), provides some really funny dialogue, especially when he compares Dre to Humphrey Bogart in CASABLANCA. BROWN SUGAR is a light romantic comedy filled with upbeat music and humor. If hip-hops your beat, BROWN SUGARs your treat.

In the game of true love, friendship plays a major role; yet, in spite of Dre and Sidneys mutual admiration, they keep looking elsewhere for love. The night before Dres wedding, he and Sidney come very close to a sexual encounter, but they back off after a very passionate kiss. However, in a later scene, they are shown in bed together. Comments imply that Sidney and her boyfriend become sexually involved early in their relationship and one brief bedroom scene is shown. Six obscenities and a slang term for prostitute spouted in hip-hop lyrics and comical conversations show poor taste. With offensive language blocked and removing the notion that premarital sex is a required part of the dating game, BROWN SUGAR could be recommendable.

Preview Reviewer: Mary Draughon
Distributor: Fox Searchlight, 10201 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90035