The Brothers (DVD, 2001)

Dubbed "Refusing to Exhale" by director Gary Hardwick, THE BROTHERS traces the hilarious journey of four African-American men as they take on love, sex, friendship and two of life's most terrifying prospects--honesty and commitment. Smart, successful, and sexy, Jackson Smith (Morris Chestnut), Brian Palmer (Bill Bellamy), Derrick West (D.L. Hughley) and Terry White (Shemar Moore) are "The Brothers"--lifelong friends banded together to weather love's innate terrors and occasional triumphs in this brazenly comic yet painfully true exploration of the battle between the sexes. Amidst the career track, basketball, and bar hopping, "The Brothers" love women, as many as possible, but a shocking revelation tests the foursome's friendship and changes their dating habits forever.In between the fast-quipping one-liners, each of the four brothers faces a challenge that must be overcome in order to mature into full manhood. The strength of THE BROTHERS rests in the emotional variety of these challenges, which range from Brian's tragic relationship with his mother to Derrick's hysterical sexual problems with his wife. And regardless of the tone of each subplot, Hardwick's characters are well rounded, and filled out by the excellent acting of Chestnut, Hughley, and the gorgeous Gabrielle Union in the female lead.