September 4, 2025
FILM: LOVE, BROOKLYN
DIRECTED BY: RACHAEL HOLDER
STARRING: ANDRE HOLLAND, NICOLE BEHARIE, DEWANDA WISE
RATING: 2 ½ out 4 stars
By Dan Pal
It would be no surprise to those who’ve followed by life and career that I’ve always been a big fan of Woody Allen films. One of his recurring motifs is his love for romantic cities, including his own New York City, Paris, Barcelona, and Rome. He never wrote a film about Brooklyn though. That seems to have been left up to first-time feature writer Paul Zimmerman. Directed by Rachael Holder, Love, Brooklyn appears to be tailor-made to establish a special connection to the New York borough through the eyes of a character named Roger, played by Andre Holland. The problem is that Zimmerman’s story doesn’t take enough chances to make this an interesting enough look at Brooklyn. It’s well-acted and shot but it falls a bit flat as a compelling film.
When we first meet Roger he is riding his bike through the streets of the borough. Clearly, this is his favorite place to be. He even overrides bike lines as if to suggest he has his own rules in the city. We are then introduced to a number of his sophisticated friends, led by Casey (Nicole Beharie) and Nicole (DeWanda Wise.) Both women have their share of issues. Casey, an art gallery owner, and Roger used to date but due to differing personal agendas that relationship seemed to have fallen apart. It now appears to be back on. Nicole is a recent widow with a shy young child. She misses her late husband but has also been enjoying some of her time with Roger.
So, he is in a “torn between two lovers” situation (how’s that for a contemporary reference!), sometimes seeing both on the same night. He’s not particularly committed to either and their perspectives are about the same. One of the underlying themes throughout the film is people looking ahead but being drawn back into their old worlds and ways of thinking. Casey admits to missing her past and certainly her husband. Nicole is trying to make something happen with Roger, a man from her past.
What is Roger’s role in all of this? Well, he’s a writer struggling with an upcoming deadline. He’s also fully aware of the changes that have occurred in his beloved Brooklyn. Does he need to move on? Is he stuck between the old and new? For much of the film Roger is down in the dumps. We don’t really know much about his previous life other than he has spent it in the same part of New York City. There really aren’t a lot of stakes for him (or, for that matter, the film as a whole) except for maybe his job. As such, the narrative languishes with Roger traveling between his relationships. Along the way there are plenty of big, long dialogue-driven scenes that don’t necessary get anyone further along on their life trajectories. Most of the energy in the film comes from Roger’s bike rides through Brooklyn.
There’s no question that there is a love for Brooklyn here and Holder does a great job of taking us through various parts of the borough. I just wish we’d seen more of it. Since the characters tend to be confined to their apartments and job settings we don’t get enough of what Brooklyn really means to these characters or to the director. I’d have liked to see it developed as something more significant to the plot offering its own set of roadblocks and unique setting features which might be keeping the characters there. Where are the specific examples of the change and evolution found within Brooklyn that Roger talks about?
Still, there is a nice elegance to the film in its use of lighting and especially music choices. This isn’t Woody Allen harkening back to the greats whom he romanticized in his film Manhattan. Rather Holder includes a nice mix of sexy R&B tunes that more so suits the characters and their sentimental view of New York.
This isn’t a poorly made film by any stretch but it does leave us a bit lacking for some richer details about the characters and the city.
Love, Brooklyn arrives in theaters this week.
FILM: LOVE, BROOKLYN
DIRECTED BY: RACHAEL HOLDER
STARRING: ANDRE HOLLAND, NICOLE BEHARIE, DEWANDA WISE
RATING: 2 ½ out 4 stars
By Dan Pal
It would be no surprise to those who’ve followed by life and career that I’ve always been a big fan of Woody Allen films. One of his recurring motifs is his love for romantic cities, including his own New York City, Paris, Barcelona, and Rome. He never wrote a film about Brooklyn though. That seems to have been left up to first-time feature writer Paul Zimmerman. Directed by Rachael Holder, Love, Brooklyn appears to be tailor-made to establish a special connection to the New York borough through the eyes of a character named Roger, played by Andre Holland. The problem is that Zimmerman’s story doesn’t take enough chances to make this an interesting enough look at Brooklyn. It’s well-acted and shot but it falls a bit flat as a compelling film.
When we first meet Roger he is riding his bike through the streets of the borough. Clearly, this is his favorite place to be. He even overrides bike lines as if to suggest he has his own rules in the city. We are then introduced to a number of his sophisticated friends, led by Casey (Nicole Beharie) and Nicole (DeWanda Wise.) Both women have their share of issues. Casey, an art gallery owner, and Roger used to date but due to differing personal agendas that relationship seemed to have fallen apart. It now appears to be back on. Nicole is a recent widow with a shy young child. She misses her late husband but has also been enjoying some of her time with Roger.
So, he is in a “torn between two lovers” situation (how’s that for a contemporary reference!), sometimes seeing both on the same night. He’s not particularly committed to either and their perspectives are about the same. One of the underlying themes throughout the film is people looking ahead but being drawn back into their old worlds and ways of thinking. Casey admits to missing her past and certainly her husband. Nicole is trying to make something happen with Roger, a man from her past.
What is Roger’s role in all of this? Well, he’s a writer struggling with an upcoming deadline. He’s also fully aware of the changes that have occurred in his beloved Brooklyn. Does he need to move on? Is he stuck between the old and new? For much of the film Roger is down in the dumps. We don’t really know much about his previous life other than he has spent it in the same part of New York City. There really aren’t a lot of stakes for him (or, for that matter, the film as a whole) except for maybe his job. As such, the narrative languishes with Roger traveling between his relationships. Along the way there are plenty of big, long dialogue-driven scenes that don’t necessary get anyone further along on their life trajectories. Most of the energy in the film comes from Roger’s bike rides through Brooklyn.
There’s no question that there is a love for Brooklyn here and Holder does a great job of taking us through various parts of the borough. I just wish we’d seen more of it. Since the characters tend to be confined to their apartments and job settings we don’t get enough of what Brooklyn really means to these characters or to the director. I’d have liked to see it developed as something more significant to the plot offering its own set of roadblocks and unique setting features which might be keeping the characters there. Where are the specific examples of the change and evolution found within Brooklyn that Roger talks about?
Still, there is a nice elegance to the film in its use of lighting and especially music choices. This isn’t Woody Allen harkening back to the greats whom he romanticized in his film Manhattan. Rather Holder includes a nice mix of sexy R&B tunes that more so suits the characters and their sentimental view of New York.
This isn’t a poorly made film by any stretch but it does leave us a bit lacking for some richer details about the characters and the city.
Love, Brooklyn arrives in theaters this week.