Some of them never like getting brushed. Few of my cats ever have tolerated it well.. (fortunately I've only ever had one who had longer fur).
Cats have very sensitive skin, so any brush that pulls or is pokey will totally put them off. The Furminator brushes seem to be pretty nice and gentle and very effective, though I understand they are pretty expensive. The rubbery ones seem to be a bit better tolerated too - but they mainly only remove the long guard hairs.
I've seen some people who get their long haired cats shaved every summer. They look a kind of funny for a while, but it does take care of any matts.