By: Lana K. Wilson-Combs
"LOVE, BROOKLYN" FINDS BEAUTY IN THE BROKEN PLACES
In
"Love, Brooklyn," screenwriter
Paul Zimmerman makes his feature film debut with a soulful, understated mosaic of love, grief, and human connection set against the rich backdrop of one of New York’s most layered boroughs.
At the heart of this story directed by
Rachael Holder (TV's "Run the World”) is Roger (the excellent Andre Holland, "The Revisionist"), a writer who is struggling with seeing his vibrant neighborhood slowly changing through gentrification.
He navigates the city streets by bicycle, taking everything in up close and personal. But what's worse is that the Black residents who have long called these neighborhoods home are being priced out. It's an issue deeply personal to Roger, and he makes his concern clear especially to his ex-girlfriend Casey (a terrific Nichole Beharie, "Honk for Jesus, Save Your Soul") who owns an art gallery passed down to her from her family. Even she's torn between selling the place to buyers who have made hefty offers.
Roger still has feelings for Casey in addition to his latest love interest, Nicole (a terrific DeWanda Wise, TV’s "Murderbot"). Nicole lost her husband in tragic accident and is now raising her young daughter, Ally (Cadence Reese, "Rustin").
Ally hasn't quite warmed up to Roger, and during a trip to the park for ice cream, a stranger casually calls him a good father. Ally quickly and emphatically tells them he's not her father. The moment hits hard, stirring up a flood of unresolved emotions for her.
The film weaves multiple storylines with intimacy and care. Roy Wood Jr. (TV's "Have I Got News for You") brings both heart and humor as Alan, Roger's best friend and neighbor, whose own marriage is quietly unraveling beneath the surface.
Set largely in cozy brownstones, cramped therapy offices, and bustling Brooklyn sidewalks, the film's strength lies in its emotional honesty and lived-in performances. Zimmerman's dialogue is unshowy but sharp, allowing the actors room to breathe. There are no melodramatic plot twists here, just life, unfolding in all its quiet complexities.
"Love, Brooklyn" is less about romantic love and more about the quieter, sometimes harder kinds between friends, siblings, neighbors, and exes. It's a film that understands how healing doesn't always come in dramatic catharsis but in small, brave acts of openness.
Anchored by a beautifully restrained performance from Holland, and a cast that feels like a real community, the film makes a strong case that love, regardless of how messy and painful, lives in the everyday. Brooklyn just happens to be where it shows up.
"Love, Brooklyn" is currently available on Digital platforms.
Editor's Note: Be sure to catch my N2Entertainment.net movie talk segment on the
Kitty O'Neal Show Fridays at 5:17 p.m. and 6:47 p.m. on radio station
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Look At This Trailer For
"LOVE, BROOKLYN"
Lana K. Wilson-Combs is a member of the Critics Choice Association (CCA), American Film Institute (AFI), and a Nominating Committee Voting Member for the NAACP Image Awards).