Movie review: Billy Eichner’s gay romcom ‘Bros’ is funny, sweet and thoughtful

Ross Raihala, Pioneer Press
·5 min read
40
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

From the moment it was announced, the messaging behind the gay romcom “Bros” has firmly stated it is Important and Groundbreaking and Inclusive and also For Everybody.

Co-written and starring comic actor Billy Eichner, “Bros” is the first major studio film to feature LGBTQ+ actors in all the principal roles, regardless of whether the characters are queer. And it arrives with the Judd Apatow seal of approval and the implicit promise “Bros” will become a modern comedy classic like the producer-director’s much-loved films “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” “Bridesmaids” and “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.”

But as a gay man – and a fan of Eichner – I had my doubts “Bros” could live up to such heightened expectations. And I worried that the overwhelming media coverage that began about six months ago would backfire if the film was a flop. (When I asked a fellow gay guy who I know through Twitter to join me for the screening on Tuesday, he responded: “I hope it’s good. I’ve actually been getting a little tired of the ads for it.”)

Well, “Bros” – which opens in theaters Friday – is not only good, it’s fantastic. Eichner pulled off the remarkable feat of creating a film that’s funny, sweet and smart. It’s also inclusive, in the best possible sense, and educational (for straight people) without feeling preachy. Eichner doesn’t paint gay people as unimpeachable saints, but as mere humans with flaws and, occasionally, some ridiculous notions about life.

Eichner first found success as the host of “Billy on the Street,” a chaotic and hilarious “game show” that saw him running through the streets of Manhattan, shouting pop culture questions at mostly bewildered strangers. The show led to further jobs for Eichner, including a stint on “Parks and Recreation” and voiceover roles in the films “The Angry Birds Movie” and “The Lion King.”

His most vital work, however, was in the Hulu series “Difficult People.” Julie Klausner, who wrote for “Billy on the Street,” created and co-starred in the sitcom about two bitter, struggling comedians trying to make it in New York City. Modeled somewhat after Larry David’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm” – which Klausner explicitly nods to in one episode – the show seemed to be at least semi-autobiographical and presented Eichner as a miserable, yet still likable, guy searching for something just outside his grasp.

In “Bros,” Eichner plays Bobby Lieber, a popular podcaster who is also the director of a new museum devoted to LGBTQ+ history and culture. Like his character on “Difficult People,” Bobby feels informed in some ways by Eichner’s own life. He’s witty, sarcastic and not exactly happy, but settled on the notion he’ll never be in a long-term relationship with another man.

By keeping his sex life relegated to empty, one-off Grindr hookups, Bobby focuses on his non-sexual friendships for his emotional needs. And he’s hanging out in a gay club one night with his buddy Henry (Guy Branum) when he spots Aaron (Luke Macfarlane), a shirtless, muscled hunk straight out of an old Abercrombie and Fitch ad.

Sparks fly between Bobby and Aaron, but both are reluctant to commit. It doesn’t help that Bobby can get whiny or that Aaron can be a bit of a flake. But after a series of non-date dates – some of which include group sex – the pair realize that maybe, just maybe, there’s something deeper going on between them.

“Bros” does poke fun at various romcom tropes, but it also follows them beat by beat. The structure and storytelling – right down to a “look at what we had, but may lose” montage – will be instantly familiar to anyone who can quote lines from “When Harry Met Sally,” “Mamma Mia” and the like.

Throughout the film, Eichner gives Bobby a handful of what are essentially monologues that do everything from shine a light on queer culture for the uninitiated to explain just why a film like “Bros” should even exist in the first place in a cinematic world where gay people are typically portrayed as comic sidekicks, tortured victims, vicious murderers or butts of the joke. Some may feel Bobby’s dialogue is clunky at times, but I found myself marveling at how much information Eichner was able to convey while still delivering the jokes.

Eichner also goes out of his way to show that queer people are not a monolith, but a collection of people with varying views, emotions and agendas drawn together to build a community based on solidarity. “Bros” also makes the case that there really isn’t one gay world and one straight world, but a shared world of humans trying, and sometimes failing, to make it through this thing we call life.

Again, though, I can’t stress enough that “Bros” is a comedy and a very funny one at that. The full house I saw the film with laughed throughout, giving the most love to an ongoing bit about a Hallmark Channel-like studio’s misguided approach to inclusion. (In one of the many, many meta aspects of “Bros,” Macfarlane himself is probably best known for his romantic lead roles in Hallmark movies with titles like “Christmas in My Heart,” “A Shoe Addict’s Christmas” and “The Mistletoe Promise.”)

To be clear, “Bros” can get raunchy like other romcoms – especially ones affiliated with Apatow – with plenty of casual profanity. There are also several relatively discreet gay sex scenes, although they are largely handled with a whimsical touch. To put it another way, you’ll see more full frontal male nudity in “Forgetting Sarah Marshall.”

Ultimately, “Bros” is a warm, inviting and hospitable take on a genre that’s started to fade from the big screens. If it doesn’t find an audience in theaters, it surely will on streaming and beyond, as it seems destined to become one of those comfort films audiences revisit when they’re in need of some good laughs.

“BROS”

Directed by: Nicholas Stoller
Starring: Billy Eichner, Luke MacFarlane, Ts Madison, Bowen Yang and Harvey Fierstein
Rated: R for language, sexual content and some drug use
Should you go? It’s a smart, well-made and funny romcom that happens to be about a gay couple. 4 stars

Related Articles