What happens when you're a single, successful male who has a monumental problem committing to one (and only one) woman? In "The Brothers," four men think they have it all: money, looks, and most of all, the ability to get all the fine sisters. They pride themselves on being immune to feminine tricks as long as they get physically sated. Yet one by one they meet women who inspire thoughts of fidelity, commitment and even love.

The film's strength is its the character development. Jackson (Morris Chestnut) is a doctor who needs a therapist because he has nightmares of a bride pointing a gun at him. He views relationships with a pessimistic attitude because his parents' marriage failed. You see him struggle with own pride and willfullness. Terry (Shemar Moore) is the really hot player who wants to do the right thing. When a female co-worker literally pounces on him, he turns her down because he is committed to his girlfriend of two months. His interpretation of properly respecting a woman is marriage-he faces an inner fight between taking the higher road and keeping his low-maintenance single life. Derrick (D.L. Hughley) is married and determined to fix all marital woes despite several setbacks and a quite moody wife. Brian (Bill Bellamy) is a goofy, immature lawyer as well as a heartbreaker who sees marriage as the end of the brothers' friendship. It's amusing to see his utter failure at viewing a woman as anything but a sex object. His lifestyle comes back to haunt him when one of his rejected lovers turns out to be a judge who makes his life impossible in court.

At the beginning of the movie, the brothers brag about their conquests during their weekly basketball games. By the end, all the pretense has faded, and it is obvious that each man deeply questions his inner self and what he values in life.

"The Brothers" gives an accurate rendition of human relationships because it also examines a woman's perspective. Women are portrayed as strong, able individuals who hold their anger at bay in an attempt to understand the men they love. The underlying message here is that a woman's patience will produce a noble man. Denise (Gabrielle Union) endures false accusations and unfair treatment from Jackson but is wise enough to wait for him to mature.

The movie successfully downplays a potentially cliched theme by injecting humor at strategic moments. In one potentially weepy scene, the women are complaining about their man problems. Instead of wilting and sobbing, one of the women declares she must "reject her pussy." When another woman meets her ex-husband's new love interest (who happens to be a gorgeous, adorable, fluffy French woman who doesn't speak a word of English), she shouts profanities as the French woman glibly nods and smiles.

"The Brothers" functions on two levels: a viewer can interpret the movie as mindless comedy or as a shrewd assessment of complex relationships. The comedy relies on the viewer's understanding through personal experience. It assumes that the guys can relate to the male camaraderie and commitment issues and that the girls can sympathize with the frustration that arises from dealing with men.

The film is a crowd-pleaser that offers accurate, if not exactly profound, insights.