A film like “Bros” reminds us of the importance of representation. Seeing yourself in the characters that appear on screen is empowering and feels like you heard. It’s the first queer rom-com featuring a principal LGBTQ+ cast to be released theatrically by a major studio. While it’s formulaic, co-writer Billy Eichner delivers one of the most honest and hilarious stories that reflect the modern-day queer experience and educates others about it.
“Bros” follows Bobby Leiber (Eichner), a successful children’s book author and podcaster who chronicles his experience as a cis white gay man living in New York. The podcast is full of cynicism, insight, and a wit that’s refreshing to hear as it isn’t afraid to tackle the difficulties and complexities of dating and finding love. One particular podcast talks about how Hollywood has shaped the modern-day image of love and happiness through their rom-coms and how some execs are afraid to tell an authentic gay story. And so, the newly appointed head of the first LGBTQ+ museum is happy with being emotionally unavailable and living life one random Grindr hookup at a time.
That is until he finds Aaron (Luke Macfarlane), a muscle-bound estate lawyer who is described as boring and man candy who loves sports and is a Garth Brooks fan. Though Aaron is the anthesis of what Bobby hopes to find in a relationship, he finds himself attracted to him. Surprisingly, the two hit it off at first, dancing and conversing amidst the noise and tackiness of a club setting. It isn’t exactly the most romantic thing, but neither is anything about their first meeting. Bobby’s brash personality bluntly tells Aaron that someone told him he was boring.
On the other hand, Aaron is unaffected by this and proceeds to move like Batman by ghosting Bobby. And whenever Bobby finds Aaron, he is at the bar or making a move as the third person in a trouple. Eventually, both realize they are the missing emotional puzzle pieces they’ve been looking for to complete their lives.
What’s great about a film like “Bros” is that it’s so much more than a rom-com when it educates its audience about the LGTBQ experience and calls out Hollywood’s hypocrisy and homophobia. But, of course, that can also be a detriment to itself, considering how long it takes to flesh out those aspects. As such, its story is formulaic. Still, like “Fire Island,” it is a chance for the LGBTQ community to be able to see themselves in the characters on screen. What’s more, it is co-written by Eichner and gives more to the idea of having more authenticity by having those who lived the experience involved in the creative process.
So “Bros” covers that experience. During one of his podcasts, Bobby chronicles what it was like to pitch a gay rom-com to a studio and hear the exec say that the world wasn’t ready for something as honest as a gay rom-com authentically written by gay voices. In essence, it was too gay, and they just wanted a simple rom-com viewed from the LGBTQ lens. As such, we see what happens when we cater to the industry’s wants with those basic Hallmart movies – a riff on Hallmark movies – that try to appeal to all aspects of the LGBTQ identity but do nothing to reflect upon those stories or experiences.
And Eichner’s script, which he co-wrote with director Nicholas Stoller, isn’t afraid to be upfront with those observations in an informative and hilarious way. A lot of that comes through Bobby’s commentary on Hollywood’s lack of LGBTQ representation in mainstream media and the film celebrating everything about the LGBTQ+ culture and its identities without having to shy away from some of its messiness, infighting, and contradictions. Though it addresses a lot as Bobby tries to rally his team of people from various aspects of the LGBTQ community to come to a consensus on what should be in the museum’s opening, there simply isn’t enough time to cover it. Still, it gives them a space to represent their respective communities in a mainstream film.
What makes Bros’ storytelling so compelling is that it isn’t afraid to put the LGBTQ experience on screen. While it’s not the entire experience, as it takes place from Bobby’s perspective, it is enough of a slice-of-life story to give audiences an understanding of what they have to go through and what they have to fight for daily. But it is also an enjoyable movie as there are plenty of steamy scenes, dancing, laughter, and expressions of love. And yet, there’s also a maturity to it and a recognition that the film doesn’t encapsulate the entire LGBTQ experience since it takes place from the perspective of a CIS White Gay Man. The film even makes a point of that by throwing a cutaway joke of Bobby winning the said award as a wink and a nod to self joke.
And Eichner is excellent as Bobby, whose cynicism about love and relationships stems from past traumas and experiences swiping through Grindr and having random hookups that leave him emotionally unsatisfied. He’s upfront, bold, and isn’t afraid of wearing his identity on his sleeve. While he doesn’t believe he will find the one, he wants to have that connection everyone keeps talking about or even has. And yet, it comes from the unlikeliest of people, Aaron, a sports-loving Garth Brooks fan who isn’t as open about his sexual identity as Bobby. One could go as far as saying that Aaron is the antithesis of what Bobby is looking for in a lover. And yet, they have such great chemistry because both expose each other’s vulnerabilities while also bringing out the best part of themselves.
Though Bros makes for a beautiful rom-com that is sharp, witty, and very funny, the film’s 115-minute runtime doesn’t justify its story. In addition, it doesn’t have to reinvent the rom-com wheel and often falls into cliches and contrived conflicts associated with the genre. But these are minor flaws, and Eichner’s comedy and his chemistry with Macfarlane are more than enough to keep us fully engaged with the story and laughing until the very end.
While “Bros” serves as a sharp and funny rom-com viewed through the gay lens, it turns out that Eichner and director Nicholas Stoller give audiences something with a little bit more nuance. It’s the kind of film that finally gives the LGBTQ community a chance to feel represented and see themselves in the characters on the screen. More importantly, it’s an opportunity to show that mainstream audiences are ready for these stories. Sure, the film may be fictional, but it comes from a writer who’s lived those experiences and, therefore, can write about it authentically and honestly. And so it’s very rewarding to celebrate all the joys that come with being a part of a community with nothing to be afraid of.
8.5/10
“Bros” Review: Billy Eichner’s Gay Rom-Com Shines Brightly
A film like “Bros” reminds us of the importance of representation. Seeing yourself in the characters that appear on screen is empowering and feels like you heard. It’s the first queer rom-com featuring a principal LGBTQ+ cast to be released theatrically by a major studio. While it’s formulaic, co-writer Billy Eichner delivers one of the most honest and hilarious stories that reflect the modern-day queer experience and educates others about it.
“Bros” follows Bobby Leiber (Eichner), a successful children’s book author and podcaster who chronicles his experience as a cis white gay man living in New York. The podcast is full of cynicism, insight, and a wit that’s refreshing to hear as it isn’t afraid to tackle the difficulties and complexities of dating and finding love. One particular podcast talks about how Hollywood has shaped the modern-day image of love and happiness through their rom-coms and how some execs are afraid to tell an authentic gay story. And so, the newly appointed head of the first LGBTQ+ museum is happy with being emotionally unavailable and living life one random Grindr hookup at a time.
That is until he finds Aaron (Luke Macfarlane), a muscle-bound estate lawyer who is described as boring and man candy who loves sports and is a Garth Brooks fan. Though Aaron is the anthesis of what Bobby hopes to find in a relationship, he finds himself attracted to him. Surprisingly, the two hit it off at first, dancing and conversing amidst the noise and tackiness of a club setting. It isn’t exactly the most romantic thing, but neither is anything about their first meeting. Bobby’s brash personality bluntly tells Aaron that someone told him he was boring.
On the other hand, Aaron is unaffected by this and proceeds to move like Batman by ghosting Bobby. And whenever Bobby finds Aaron, he is at the bar or making a move as the third person in a trouple. Eventually, both realize they are the missing emotional puzzle pieces they’ve been looking for to complete their lives.
What’s great about a film like “Bros” is that it’s so much more than a rom-com when it educates its audience about the LGTBQ experience and calls out Hollywood’s hypocrisy and homophobia. But, of course, that can also be a detriment to itself, considering how long it takes to flesh out those aspects. As such, its story is formulaic. Still, like “Fire Island,” it is a chance for the LGBTQ community to be able to see themselves in the characters on screen. What’s more, it is co-written by Eichner and gives more to the idea of having more authenticity by having those who lived the experience involved in the creative process.
So “Bros” covers that experience. During one of his podcasts, Bobby chronicles what it was like to pitch a gay rom-com to a studio and hear the exec say that the world wasn’t ready for something as honest as a gay rom-com authentically written by gay voices. In essence, it was too gay, and they just wanted a simple rom-com viewed from the LGBTQ lens. As such, we see what happens when we cater to the industry’s wants with those basic Hallmart movies – a riff on Hallmark movies – that try to appeal to all aspects of the LGBTQ identity but do nothing to reflect upon those stories or experiences.
And Eichner’s script, which he co-wrote with director Nicholas Stoller, isn’t afraid to be upfront with those observations in an informative and hilarious way. A lot of that comes through Bobby’s commentary on Hollywood’s lack of LGBTQ representation in mainstream media and the film celebrating everything about the LGBTQ+ culture and its identities without having to shy away from some of its messiness, infighting, and contradictions. Though it addresses a lot as Bobby tries to rally his team of people from various aspects of the LGBTQ community to come to a consensus on what should be in the museum’s opening, there simply isn’t enough time to cover it. Still, it gives them a space to represent their respective communities in a mainstream film.
What makes Bros’ storytelling so compelling is that it isn’t afraid to put the LGBTQ experience on screen. While it’s not the entire experience, as it takes place from Bobby’s perspective, it is enough of a slice-of-life story to give audiences an understanding of what they have to go through and what they have to fight for daily. But it is also an enjoyable movie as there are plenty of steamy scenes, dancing, laughter, and expressions of love. And yet, there’s also a maturity to it and a recognition that the film doesn’t encapsulate the entire LGBTQ experience since it takes place from the perspective of a CIS White Gay Man. The film even makes a point of that by throwing a cutaway joke of Bobby winning the said award as a wink and a nod to self joke.
And Eichner is excellent as Bobby, whose cynicism about love and relationships stems from past traumas and experiences swiping through Grindr and having random hookups that leave him emotionally unsatisfied. He’s upfront, bold, and isn’t afraid of wearing his identity on his sleeve. While he doesn’t believe he will find the one, he wants to have that connection everyone keeps talking about or even has. And yet, it comes from the unlikeliest of people, Aaron, a sports-loving Garth Brooks fan who isn’t as open about his sexual identity as Bobby. One could go as far as saying that Aaron is the antithesis of what Bobby is looking for in a lover. And yet, they have such great chemistry because both expose each other’s vulnerabilities while also bringing out the best part of themselves.
Though Bros makes for a beautiful rom-com that is sharp, witty, and very funny, the film’s 115-minute runtime doesn’t justify its story. In addition, it doesn’t have to reinvent the rom-com wheel and often falls into cliches and contrived conflicts associated with the genre. But these are minor flaws, and Eichner’s comedy and his chemistry with Macfarlane are more than enough to keep us fully engaged with the story and laughing until the very end.
While “Bros” serves as a sharp and funny rom-com viewed through the gay lens, it turns out that Eichner and director Nicholas Stoller give audiences something with a little bit more nuance. It’s the kind of film that finally gives the LGBTQ community a chance to feel represented and see themselves in the characters on the screen. More importantly, it’s an opportunity to show that mainstream audiences are ready for these stories. Sure, the film may be fictional, but it comes from a writer who’s lived those experiences and, therefore, can write about it authentically and honestly. And so it’s very rewarding to celebrate all the joys that come with being a part of a community with nothing to be afraid of.
8.5/10
