A Brother's Kiss


A Brother's Kiss is a 1997 American independent drama film written and directed by Seth Zvi Rosenfeld and starring Nick Chinlund and Michael Raynor. It is based on the 1988 play by Rosenfeld and also his directorial debut. Rosenfeld grew up in the same neighborhood as actor Michael Raynor; Raynor and actor Nick Chinlund were friends as children.

Plot

Mick and Lex are a pair of brothers who grew up in Harlem under circumstances that were difficult at best. Their mother Doreen was a diabetic with a drinking problem and difficulty in saying no to men. While she wasn't a sex worker, she grew dependent on the little gifts her lovers would bring by, and as kids, Mick and Lex learned to accept this as the way things were. One night, Mick and Lex were taking a walk in the park when they were accosted by a cop who molested the younger Mick. Lex, older and strong as a grown man, attacked the cop, which led to a stay in a reform school. Years later, Mick is himself a policeman; while he's tried to bury the childhood incident in his past, he still shows emotional scars and is sexually dysfunctional. Lex has taken the more dramatic slide, getting in and out of trouble since reform school and maintaining a going-nowhere job driving a bus. He has a combative relationship with Debbie, girlfriend and the mother of his child, while also selling drugs for local dealer Lefty Louie. His own habit has developed so far that his sales don't compensate for the amount he uses himself. Mick tries to look out for his big brother, but it might be too late to save him.

Cast

Reception

Roger Ebert gave the film three stars. John Petrakis of the Chicago Tribune also gave it three stars. Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly graded it a B−.