In director Rachael Holder’s feature debut, she uses the evolving streets of Brooklyn as the backdrop for a tender love letter to the borough about letting go.
Written by Paul Zimmerman, Love, Brooklyn stars André Holland as Roger, a writer struggling to find the words to describe the city he once knew so well. As he juggles his friendship with ex Casey (Nicole Beharie) and his blossoming situationship with single mother Nicole (DeWanda Wise), Roger is faced with multiple paths at a trying time in his life.
While the film moves at a gradual pace, building the characters’ relationships and motivations, it’s quickly apparent that each of these three Brooklynites are struggling to move on from something in their life. During a museum visit, art curator Casey references the Greek myth of Lot turning into a pillar of salt after looking back at her husband. Meanwhile, she references Black creatives like James Baldwin and Henry Ossawa Tanner leaving the U.S. for a “slightly less racist France,” seemingly foreshadowing a potential option for aimless Roger.
Nicole struggles with letting go of her late husband and how she thought her life would be, as she’s made to feel like a bad person for having needs. Meanwhile, her young daughter Ally wants to get to know Roger but her mother is conflicted about letting him in their life or defining their relationship.
For Casey, it’s the decision to sell the gallery she’s owned since college after inheriting it from her grandmother. Although she loves her work, Brooklyn is no longer a place where she can thrive.
Similarly, Roger struggles with accepting the new Brooklyn for all its wonders and faults, a beautifully effective metaphor for the act of letting go and embracing the good in life as he navigates a love triangle with two women he cares for deeply.
Roy Wood Jr. provides a welcome comedic relief as the group’s longtime friend Alan, who is happily married, despite his constant obsession with having an affair. His wife Beth (Saycon Sengbloh) is more amused by his interests, noting it would be “too much energy” for her husband. Their supporting arc provides an example for Roger of what he wants in letting go and moving on.
In addition to exploring the modern face of Brooklyn, Zimmerman’s script unpacks contemporary dynamics of sex, relationships and family. Holder depicts the borough and its inhabitants in a warm and romantic light, giving the bittersweet love triangle a beautiful and complete resolution.
Producers are André Holland, Kate Sharp, Patrick Wengler, Maurice Anderson and Liza Zusman.
Title: Love, Brooklyn
Festival: Sundance (U.S. Dramatic Competition)
Director: Rachael Holder
Screenwriter: Paul Zimmerman
Cast: André Holland, Nicole Beharie, DeWanda Wise, Roy Wood Jr., Cassandra Freeman, Cadence Reese
Sales Agent: Creative Artists Agency
Running time: 1 hr 37 min
