Bros (2022)
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Bros Movie Review
Bros is a 2022 romantic comedy film directed by Nicholas Stoller and starring Billy Eichner and Luke Macfarlane. It is a surprisingly truthful, superbly written movie.
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“Love is a old-school Mariah. How do you not know this?
I’m more of a country guy. You know, like Garth Brooks.
Garth Brooks? Who are you?“
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It is about two men who start a relationship, but experience commitment issues. This movie was marketed for being the first ever mainstream gay romantic comedy and that just might be true given that previous gay movies in this genre were either indie or streaming releases. The movie ended up being a box office bomb due to the fact that many straight, but also gay people would never show up for a film like this, which is disappointing as the movie is very good.
Billy Eichner is the best gay comedian we have right now, though his very intense and bitter brand of comedy isn’t for everybody of course. Yes, he is very toxic here and at times borderline unpleasant, but he spews truthful comment after comment to the point that it is difficult not to agree with the things he says or not to laugh at them. Eichner exudes a lot of charisma and wit throughout this flick with so many lines of dialogue that are instantly memorable and hilarious.
Luke Macfarlane is gay in real life, but as an actor he struggled up until now. There is even a very persistent streak of parodying Hallmark movies in this film as Luke himself starred in many of those trashy flicks. This project should thankfully jumpstart his mainstream career as he is not only very charming and good-looking, but also genuinely charismatic, funny and very likable.
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Bros extensively focuses on just these two characters with the others faring as side, but memorable personalities. The highlights include the LGBT activists, who are all very well cast and quite amusing. There is a very clever point being made about this community being divided and not as monolithic as people would assume it is. The film promoting differences and that being different is okay even within fringe communities was refreshing to witness.
Bros is above all else a social commentary. This very bitter tone was overwhelming at times, but it comes from a genuine place of hurt, disappointment and anguish, which I found to be refreshingly honest. It’s clear that it is mostly an autobiographical take on Eichner’s own life and that level of authenticity made the movie very raw and powerful, but still wildly applicable and relatable to anybody who is gay themselves.
The movie truly gets what it feels like being a gay man in this era with no qualms about it. It states all the positive things about it, but also criticizes the many negative aspects of homosexual relationships and way of life, in particular focusing on cheating, open relationships, threesomes and promiscuity, all being heavily criticized here. The script is immensely clever, particularly in its truthful but still hilarious dialogue. The creators finally acknowledging that being gay is inherently different than being straight and that we are not all the same was so admirable. So many honest points were made throughout this incredibly sophisticated movie.
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When it comes to the romantic elements, Bros resembles a romantic comedy of yesteryear for better and for worse. While I appreciated that old-fashioned approach to telling this story, this still led to an overly inspirational happy ending and some very obvious sequences that were frustrating in a film that is otherwise so raw and honest. The dinner with the parents scene was just too unrealistic and over-the-top for instance.
As for the relationship between the two men, it’s hit-or-miss. It’s sweet, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not really plausible. A guy like Bobby would never get a chance to date a guy like Aaron, especially in a community that is obsessed with looks. Whenever men are concerned, good looks come first, so the film trying to bypass that came across as dishonest.
But other than that little tidbit, the two did share a very interesting, fun relationship and their differences in personality and demeanor made for a dynamic that is actually quite grounded in reality. The movie’s depiction of the bro and gym culture was hilarious and again on point while the sex scenes were surprisingly kinky and edgy. The film is very well edited, paced and directed as it flies by how fun it is, though it lacked more cinematic qualities, such as memorable cinematography and score.
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Bros is the first mainstream gay romantic comedy that in its feel and approach tries to mimic those earlier rom-coms for better and for worse. The result is a film that is very predictable and overly inspirational in its third act, but still immensely entertaining and funny throughout. Luke Macfarlane is very charismatic and likable while Billy Eichner is hilarious in what felt like a role that must have been autobiographical for him. The highlight of the movie is its refreshingly honest depiction of gay men as it heavily criticizes the community’s numerous issues through many hilarious, instantly memorable lines of dialogue.
My Rating – 4
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