Directed by Nicholas Stoller
Starring Billy Eichner, Luke MacFarlane
The most interesting thing to happen to the Romantic Comedy genre in recent times are those works who aim to subvert or satirise it. So here comes Bros, a romantic comedy which had much of the conventions and saccharine blandness wrung out, and soaked it in fresh and observational comedy. Co-written by the film’s lead Billy Eichner (Funny or Die’s Billy on the Street), Bros embraces the rom-com template much more enthusiastically, yet still delivers the gut-level big laughs and delivers a hilarious exploration and reflection on the LGBTQI community, and its friction with broader society and itself throughout history until now.
It’s that internal friction which gives a perfect excuse to follow the conventional ‘boy meets girl, boy loses girl’ formula we’ve seen a million times – but these romantic hiccups and misadventures which obviously must occur for drama to play out over the classic three act structure of a film present an opportunity to explore how two gay men with different experiences and cultural inclinations navigate their way through the world. A world which is better than it used to be, but still isn’t quite there yet (and may never fully be).
Bobby Leiber (Eichner) is successful podcaster who is on a board on the verge of opening an LGBTQI History Museum. He avoids cultivating romantic relationships as he reluctantly employs the use of dating apps to jump from one awkward sexual encounter to another, until he finds himself speaking with the very ripped and attractive Aaron (Luke MacFarlane) and the two soon find themselves challenging their assumptions about one another, and who they are normally attracted to. Sounds like we’re steering into a conventional Rom Com narrative here, but alas – gay relationships and sex are nothing like those of the straight couples of Sleepless in Seattle and When Harry Met Sally, and so the clunky encounters, second guessing, and attempts to play things cool by the charming leads provide some great laughs and propel the narrative using a different fuel to what we’re all used to.
Beyond the accuracy of the world being explored and portrayed, another delight is the heightened sense of satirical reality the characters inhabit. Much like Robocop, the media of the world seen littering the film provides a sharp comedic tool with which to dissect the themes being explored. The “Hallheart” Channel which Bobby often retreats to when in despair brilliantly lampoons the saccharine and insincere Hallmark Channel fodder which is mass produced for TV. Similarly one of the films biggest laughs comes from a deliciously unreal moment depicting a grandparent’s excited reactions to a phone call from their grandson and partner announcing they are now regularly fucking another guy.
It is delightful to note that we are treated to gay actors portraying gay characters in this film, as opposed to (as the film itself highlights) a bunch of straight people trying to win an Oscar, and Eichner’s involvement with the writing is apparent at every turn. He provides such a real and loved series of characters and keen observations, seizing the moment with this film to highlight the absurdity that his community has been represented in film by people who aren’t a part of it. But the film doesn’t stand around to angrily shake a finger at anyone. Whilst the film has a lot to discuss, save for a brilliant beachside monologue, and the brief moments of necessary relationship drama, every scene is designed to illicit laughter and joy. This film does feel like a celebration and is much bigger than the rom-com trappings it adorns itself with, feeling like it’s destined to be cherished as a cult film with a lot of heart which will endure.
JOHN HOLDCROFT
