Bros
The reason “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” worked so well is not just because of how funny the cast was, but how effortlessly Judd Apatow and Steve Carell made the film’s premise work within the tropes of the genre while also pointing to how silly those tropes are. In their script for “Bros,” Billy Eichner and Nicholas Stoller do the same thing, and the result is not only refreshingly frank, but unquestionably hilarious and sweet. It feels like it’s been a while since I’ve laughed this hard at a studio comedy.
I’ll give you fair warning- your mileage with “Bros” will be determined by how much you can tolerate homosexual sexual situations and discussion on screen. Eichner and Stoller set us up right away, though, and if you can get past Bobby’s (Eichner’s character) first Grindr encounter, I think you’ll be fine. There’s nothing to thrust the film into NC-17 territory- though I’d be curious how many times Universal had to submit it to the typically-conservative MPA to get an R- but if you’re uncomfortable with the notion of seeing men hook up together, you’ll be missing out on a wonderful film.
Romantic comedies typically turn on truly insane behavior by the characters, which is a big reason why “Bros” is so successful. The relationship between Bobby- a passionate advocate for LGBTQ+ history, and openness- and Aaron (Luke Macfarlane)- an estate lawyer with an athlete’s body- develops in a very natural way, with fits and spurts, uncertainty with what the relationship is, as well as a second act complication that is born out of a real sense of betrayal and need to soul search. I like that it was important for Eichner to give us a genuine arc for these characters that feels like something that would actually occur in reality than just aiming for sitcom silliness. It also gives him and Macfarlane real story and character arcs that are natural extensions of what we’ve come to learn about them over the course of the movie. That doesn’t mean “Bros” doesn’t trade in “only in the movies” silliness, but it earns those moments by not treating it’s audience like morons who will accept anything the film throws at us, and it also builds them out of story. That’s the best type of comedic joy.
The backdrop of the film is fundamentally Bobby’s work in trying to get the nation’s first LGBTQ+ museum opened, and that is where much of the silliness comes in- How can they get someone to give them $5 million to get it across the finish line? What should be the final exhibit?- but there’s also a lot of talk about how, even in a community and group as diverse as the LGBTQ+ one, a lot of times, even people in the same boat as minorities have to work harder to have their voices heard. That’s a key thing in “Bros” that keeps us engaged with not just the larger story, but Bobby and Aaron’s relationship, as well, especially when an old friend of Aaron’s comes out. That leads to what might be the film’s funniest sequence, but also it’s crucial one, because it starts to show how some of the tensions between Bobby and Aaron are going to boil over the top, sending the film into Act 3. Again, Eichner and Stoller (who directs the film with a nimble sense of timing) come from an emotional and character place than merely a farce one; we genuinely feel where this is heading, and wonder whether it’ll end the way we expect it to. I enjoyed every minute of this film, and find myself smiling whenever I think about my favorite moments. That’s what any strong rom com should do.
