Bros is the gay rom-com I’ve always wanted to see. The story is typical romance fare, two people who choose to remove themselves from the possibilities of romance meet, find a connection, and fall in love. It comes with the misunderstanding three quarters of the way through, then gets resolved in the end. Good writing keeps the story fresh, a cast that knows how to play their roles entertains, and the director, Nicholas Stoller, keeps everything together.
What makes this so fresh and enjoyable is that the two love interests don’t act like straight people, which is how most gay romances portray the leads. While the film does sway to a more monogamous side, it stays sex positive. The humor has a very gay edge and pushes the boundaries. While some people may feel the dialogue is a bit shocking, it truly is the way gay men talk to each other.
Billy Eichner and Luke Macfarlane play the romantic leads and have a definite chemistry. The supporting cast is filled with so many gay actors and personalities that I truly can’t name them all. I will say that Symone, who is out of drag, should have had a bigger part instead of being delegated to the back. It was also great to see Amanda Bearse as Aaron’s mother, which she played to a tee. Debra Messing has a small role as herself, and I never knew how funny she could be. I howled! Bowen Yang plays a wealthy gay man who Bobby (Billy Eichner) has to convince to make a donation to the LGBT History Museum. The scene is hysterical, and Bowen Yang is outrageously glorious in the role. Miss Lawrence plays Wanda, a soft spoken, ultra-PC woman on the LGBT History Museum committee. Guy Branum plays Henry, one of Bobby’s close friends, who is a delight every time he appears and has some of the most outrageous lines that he delivers as if he’s ordering a ham sandwich. I knew I was in for a treat every time he showed up.
Some of the characters could be viewed as too stereotypical, which I didn’t mind from a movie that playfully pokes fun at gay culture and liberals. What I did find annoying is that the actors kept their underwear on during the sex scenes. For a movie that’s so laissez fair with its raunchy dialogue, it seemed odd. But despite that, it is one of the funniest movies I’ve seen in a while.
Bros is not your typical gay romance fare, for which I am thankful.
