Brown Sugar (2003)

Taye Diggs smolders as slick New York record exec Dre, who shares a lifelong friendship and passion for hip-hop with music writer Sidney (Sanaa Lathan) in Brown Sugar. They're destined to be together, of course, but in strict adherence to the romantic-comedy laws, they must first be paired with partners who are obviously wrong for them. (The interesting part: Their love is so intertwined with their common interest that sometimes it's not clear whether they're talking about music or each other.) Add the fact that Dre married his wrong partner, and you've got a film whose tough choices and bittersweet ending keep it real.