Bros (2022)

FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://www.msbreviews.com/movie-reviews/bros-spoiler-free-review-lff-2022

"Bros is a genuine, authentic, insanely hilarious breath of fresh air. Clever satirical comedy rips out loud back-to-back laughs throughout the entire runtime without ever causing viewers to lose their ear-to-ear smile.

Billy Eichner and Luke Macfarlane share more chemistry than hundreds of leads in as many rom-coms. It doesn't shy away from the familiar formulas and cliches of the genre, but it contains a compelling romance and a truly interesting story, paying homage to the LGTBQ+ community along the way.

One of the best films of the year!"

Rating: A-

As a man who really struggles with romcoms at the best of times, I was rather nervous about this. Actually, though, it steers clear of some (though not all) of the gay stereotypes and presents us with a genuinely quite funny love story about two forty-somethings who meet in a nightclub. One, "Bobby" (Billy Eichner) is a ordinary looking, gobby podcaster and activist who is trying to raise the money needed for an American National LGBTQ+ museum. The other is "Aaron" (Luke Macfarlane) - a lawyer who spends a fair amount of time on the cross-fit. They wouldn't appear to be the most natural of fits but a series of brief encounters on their opening night coupled with a fair degree of sarcasm and a kiss sets the tone for what happens next. Certainly, anyone who has a Dekkoo subscription will have seen the format before - and often, and this doesn't really vary the theme much. What does make this different is the characters have much more depth. Their relationship is never going to be straightforward and though sometimes delivered via annoyingly angry monologues, the character of "Bobby" makes some fairly profound and well reasoned arguments about the constraints history has imposed on people of differing sexualities over the years. Eichner is effective as a man who uses his sharp and pithy tongue to prove the best form of defence is attack, Macfarlane proves to be far more than the man with the muscle, and the writing from the former and director Nicholas Stoller clearly demonstrates that both men have skin in this particular game. Experience has clearly informed and fuelled this creative process. It can be a bit hit or miss, especially the third quarter when it all becomes a bit contrived, but the ending redeems it rather - if only for the pure schmaltz of the serenade - and I rather enjoyed it. It sure doesn't need a cinema screening, but it is entertainingly provocative at times. The BBFC slide at the top warned of "strong sex". Clearly they have never watched "Theo and Hugo" (2016) because there is nothing at all visual in this that could conceivably cause offence; even the language is comparatively mild.

I'll be honest, I'm not Gay and I did not watch this movie. But, it's not because I'm straight that I didn't watch it, it's not because Rom-Coms aren't something that appeals to be to start with and Gay Rom-Coms appeal even less to me than straight Rom-Coms.

No, I didn't watch this because I didn't want another lecture and i didn't want to support another lecture.

And to the utter surprise of absolutely no one, we got the inevitable lecture, we were told once again how absolutely evil all straight white males are because they are straight white and male, rather than being another race, female, or Gay.

Pro-Tip Hollywood, if you want to make movies that people pay to see, don't make movies that people are going to take one look at and think: "This is going to scream at me about how evil I am nonstop," and then scream at them nonstop for not watching it.

Right now, anything "Gay" should be a no fly zone, not because straight people and white people are evil... but because it comes with the guarantee that it's going to insult the audiance and then the creators are going to insult the audiance.

**By: Louisa Moore / www.ScreenZealots.com**

I didn’t expect much out of co-writer and director Nicholas Stoller‘s “Bros,” a film billed as the first mainstream gay romantic comedy. In the wrong hands, a film with such lofty ambitions could feel like an overreach in political correctness or an exercise in forced representation. Thankfully the project is neither, and it makes great strides in further normalizing homosexual relationships onscreen.

Podcaster and new head of the country’s first LGBTQ+ history museum Bobby (Billy Eichner) is a cynical gay man living in New York. He’s never had a relationship that lasted more than a couple of months, and he’s not really out and about looking for love. After some random hookups, Bobby meets a hunky lawyer Aaron (Luke Macfarlane) at a club, and they seem like complete opposites. Neither is the other’s type, and they disagree on things like styles of working out and the best music (Mariah vs. Garth Brooks). Of course, that’s when the sparks fly. The men start spending more time together, and a true love story blossoms.

This is a film where almost every character is gay, transgender, or bisexual, and the R-rated language is as racy as some of the bedroom scenes (there’s no graphic nudity, if you’re bothered by that sort of thing). It’s bold and refreshing, even if some of the material is unapologetically in your face. This may be what makes the film a hard sell for mainline conservative audiences but for those with open minds, there’s something liberating about seeing a universal love story. In fact, one of the best compliments I can give to the film is that you’d actually forget the lovebirds are two gay men if not for the constant reminders in the script (everyone is always talking about it).

Eicher and Stoller (who co-wrote the script) build their narrative from classic romantic comedy tropes, proving that some jokes are universal. It certainly follows a tried-and-true formula, but it works. The film captures with honesty the different stages of new relationships, from the meet cute to infatuation, and on to the awkward phase and the kiss-and-make-up period. There’s something here that everyone can relate to, even if there are a fair share of LGBTQ+-specific one-liners.

It’s great to see a conventional rom-com with an unconventional twist. It’s witty and insightful, has affable characters, and two leads with great chemistry and even better comedic timing. The film has an underlying sincerity and doesn’t feel gimmicky, which is a huge step towards an even greater acceptance for all relationships. “Bros” is a romantic comedy that will make you laugh, tug on your heartstrings, and flat-out make you feel happy.

This would have been a terrible movie even if it was about straight people. Billy Eichner is just not likeable in or out of character and the story was utterly predictable.

Plus the claim that it's the first gay rom com is ridiculous. The Birdcage, ever heard of it?

This film is eminently forgettable and preachy to boot. You want to watch a romantic comedy with gay male leads? The Birdcage.