“Bros” Review
Luke Macfarlane (Left) and Billy Eichner star as two independent people finding love in each other in “Bros,” a charming romantic comedy with an unbelievable sense of humor.
Romantic Comedies generally fall into one of two lanes: the film that has a great balance of laughs and feels or the film that veers hard into romance while forgetting to entertain us. “Bros” is definitely the former. This history-making film is the funniest film I’ve seen this year and with the amount of movies I watch, that is saying a lot.
Set in New York City, Bobby Lieber (Billy Eichner) is an activist for the LGBTQ+ community, podcaster and a curator for the soon-to-be-opened LGBTQ+ museum. He also prides himself on his independence and has never really had a serious relationship. All of that changes when he meets Aaron (Luke Macfarlane) who appears to be the exact opposite of Bobby. But when the two start dating, they each reveal a hidden part of themselves and realize that this relationship is something truly special.
I could go on and on about how important this film is. I could say that it’s the first LGBTQ+ romantic comedy to be released by a major studio. I could say that the entire cast is LGBTQ+ which is why it’s a bold statement for representation. But you’re probably thinking this: “this representation is amazing and I’m so happy that we’re seeing a film starring gay people that isn’t just another Oscar-type drama but is the film any good?” I will respond to that question with another question: does Billy Eichner love Barbara Streisand? The answer is yes.
Billy Eichner excels as both a comedic and romantic lead and brings so much sensitivity and energy to Bobby. But it’s Eichner’s writing that steals the show. Eichner, who co-wrote the screenplay with the film’s director Nicholas Stoller, said that comedy was the most important thing to him when writing the film. That is on full display because there’s a great joke every 30 seconds and the audience I saw the film with was nothing but a continuous wave of laughter.
While there is a lot of fun to be had, you do care about this relationship and all of its complexities. Bobby and Aaron’s chemistry is deeply human and there are scenes where you are moved while also laughing. Luke Macfarlane holds his own as a romantic lead and his charm and level of acting proves that he was way too good for all those Hallmark films he starred in (Billy Eichner also mocks Hallmark films in “Bros” which enhances my opinion of him).
The film’s supporting cast, all of which are played by LGBTQ+ actors, all brought their A-game to this film. Some of the film’s best moments involved Bobby’s interaction and arguments with other curators of the museum about what direction it’s going to go in. If I have criticism, there was not enough Jim Rash yelling at Billy Eichner. That’s not a real criticism but seeing Dean Pelton from “Community” yelling at Craig Middlebrooks from “Parks and Recreation” is kind of my everything right now.
With funny people like Billy Eichner writing, Judd Apatow producing and Nicholas Stoller directing the film, it’s clear that this film was made by comics who care a lot about their audience as well as the community they’re trying to represent. What people fail to realize is that direction, writing and editing are even more essential for comedy because of the oldest tool in a comedian’s pocket: timing. Everything in “Bros” is finely tuned and makes for a film where a joke rarely falls flat.
More importantly, the film also addresses the status of the LGBTQ+ people and their acceptance in the same way that “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” addresses human sexuality and sexual relationships. The message is there if you want to dig for it but it’s also every bit of a hilarious comedy.
If you want a film with deep social messages, you’ll probably find that. If you want to become enthralled in two people figuring out the complexities of a relationship, you’ll get it. If you’re looking to laugh your ass off, you’ll definitely laugh because this is the funniest film I’ve seen all year. “Bros” is a film that everyone should support because if this film makes a lot of money and we see more films as funny as this, that’s fine by me.
