Film Review: Bros

                          Bros                    

It’s a neat trick to make a comedy that effectively covers social problems, romance, interpersonal relationships and chocolate making while being really, really funny – especially if it’s about gay guys.

I’m talking about “Bros,” written by Billy Eichner (who also stars) and Nicholas Stoller, and the general topic is whether two commitment-phobic gay guys can become a rom-com item under any circumstances.

Cranky gay take-charge Jewish business type Bobby Leiber (Billy Eichner) is a podcaster who has just gotten involved with the establishment of a new museum about LGBTQ+ folk in New York. He can do business stuff (and is named head of this museum), but as he puts it, “I’ve never been in love, so I’m not the one to talk about love.”

But you know how it is….one night on Grindr he bumps into a cute younger guy named Aaron Shepard (Luke Macfarlane), to whom he sends the requested naked-butt photo. They go to a movie and end up in a foursome at a “gender-reveal orgy.” 

And before you know it, you find yourself watching the first-ever gay rom-com.

Are they compatible? Sometimes, but in the hands of these writers and this sterling cast, they are always funny, except when they’re actually making a point about interpersonal relationships, gay or straight, or about some other social issue.

The straight world intrudes when Aaron mentions that his parents are coming for Christmas. Take-charge Bobby jumps all over that and sets up a tour of New York for the straight-laced out-of-towners. Mom teaches second grade, but Bobby keeps blathering on about teaching tolerance even to little kids, causing predictable and unnecessary strain.

Can the relationship survive? Come now, this is a rom-com and there are many more funny scenes to be enjoyed. And topics to touch on.

One is the place of white cisgender gay men like Bobby. We’re told that his podcast, called “The 11th Brick at Stonewall” earned him an award for Cis White Gay Man of the Year. Another is making chocolates, something Aaron has always had a hankering to try.

Take from it what you will, “Bros” is guaranteed to amuse and likely to leave you with food for thought as well.