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<\/p>\nThe gay romantic comedy Bros is very funny and has broad mainstream appeal as it follows the formula of those classic rom-coms like When Harry Met Sally.<\/p>\n
Bobby Leiber (Billy Eichner) hosts a podcast called \u201cthe Eleventh Brick at Stonewall\u201d that explores queer history and issues of importance for the gay community. He is also on the executive board of the planned new LBTQI history museum that will be opening its doors in New York City in a few weeks and is desperate to find a final donor who can bring his vision to fruition. But everyone on the board has their own issues and they are all at loggerheads over which direction the exhibits should take. Each member of the board wants to extend their own representation through the exhibits. Bobby is somewhat opinionated and overly sarcastic and often rubs his colleagues the wrong way.<\/p>\n
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One night at a local nightclub Bobby connects briefly with Aaron Shephard (Luke Macfarlane). They seemingly have little in common \u2013 Bobby is determinedly single, unattached and uses gay dating apps like Grindr without much luck, while the hunky Aaron is fit and straight in appearance and works as an estate lawyer. Aaron is described by Bobby\u2019s friend Henry (Guy Branum) as hot but boring. The two exchange glances and hit it off and flirt, but neither is willing to commit to a long-term relationship. And it is not always smooth sailing for the pair as they negotiate the tricky world of dating and romance in gay New York before they can find their happy ending.<\/p>\n
Eichner (best known for his role in Parks and Recreation) and director Nicholas Stoller provide the screenplay. Stoller has previously directed raunchy adult comedies like Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Bad Neighbours. But their different backgrounds make for a great mix in shaping the material, although it at times appears a little episodic in nature. Bros is something of a passion project for Eichner, and the script is pointedly political at times. Bros has been produced by Judd Apatow, king of raunchy comedies like The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Bridesmaids. A couple of sex scenes are quite raunchy, but Stoller has reined in many of his usual excesses and crass visuals.<\/p>\n
The film is well written with plenty of laugh out loud moments and some very funny lines, but it also has a lot to say about gender politics, queer culture, relationships, tolerance, acceptance. The script also seems self-aware, and Eichner has put a lot of himself into both the characters and the scenarios. All of the cast and crew come from LGBTQ backgrounds, which is a first for a film from a major Hollywood studio and marks an important and step for positive queer representation on screen. The script plays around with gay stereotypes and the inability of men to express their true feelings and be vulnerable, which gives the material some emotional depth and resonance. The film also works in many cultural references and gay touchstones, which should touch a chord with gay audiences in particular but even straight audiences should find plenty to like here.<\/p>\n