‘Bros – More Than Friends’: Laughter, romance and LGBTQ + activism in a historical comedy

For many years, the LGBTQ + community has been relegated to the fringes of cinema, finding their way out of underground movements and sneaking into Hollywood just as the sissy joke of the day, the accessory gay friend, or a resource for tragedy. Fortunately, times have changed and although the queer and trans community continues to suffer from many injustices in the real world, on the screen he makes his way, little by little, into the spaces in which he had previously been denied entry.

Only in the last few years have we witnessed a real explosion of romantic comedies focused on LGBTQ + characters, such as’ The station of happiness (Happiest Season) ‘,’ Fire Island ‘,’ Single until Christmas’, ‘Crush’ or ‘Everything is possible’. Blockbusters, big estates, or superhero movies still hold on to us, but the community has found a place to roam freely in the romance genre. Now, so far, all of the major Hollywood movies focusing on queer couples have been released exclusively via streaming. But everything changes with the arrival of ‘Bros – More than friends’, a historic premiere for two main reasons: it is the first romantic comedy by a large studio centered on two gay men (remember “With love, Simon” paved the way for the teen genre) and the first with a cast entirely made up of LGBTQ + peoplein both homosexual and straight roles.

The project is run by comedian Billy Eichner, known for supporting roles in series like “Parks and Recreation” and, most importantly, for his viral show “Billy on the Street”. Eichner joins forces with two heavyweights in American comedy, directed by Nicholas Stoller (“Paso de ti”) and the production by Judd Apatow (“If It Were Easy”), to tell us the love story between Bobby (played by himself), an outspoken New York-based Radio and Podcast Host who dedicates his life to raising awareness for the LGBTQ + community, and Aaron (Luke Macfarlane), a handsome lawyer with a commitment allergy. Two men apparently at the antipodes, but what Through dating, sexual encounters, and a mutual exploration of what it means to be a gay man in today’s world, they find a common bond that will make them right for each other..

‘Bros – More Than Friends’ comes preceded by a stir for its historic contribution to LGBTQ + representation in cinema, but fortunately we don’t have to regret that this is the only noteworthy thing about the film. On the contrary, ‘Bros’ is a round, hilarious and downright memorable romantic comedy. With a razor-sharp script and a keen, inspired sense of humor, Eichner embraces and, at the same time, manages to subvert the clichés of a kind of established rulespaying homage to (straight) classics like “When Harry Met Sally”, “Something to Remember” or “Annie Hall” and then deconstructing them from a 21st century gay perspective.

In the film, Eichner’s character constantly complains about how the community was portrayed in film – in the case of the big studios, softening their experience to make it more palatable to heterosexual audiences – and how it had to conform to the norm to be accepted. . This is the message that acts as a catalyst a story that seeks just that, to show that the queer experience is not monolithic, but rather includes a whole range of identities, nuances and ways of living life. Hence, Eichner decided to approach sex scenes from a more honest and natural perspective, always with a focus on humor, but without forgetting its purpose of showing alternatives to heteronormative romance as valid and real.

Sequences that are used not only to make people laugh, but also to bring concepts such as the open couple and polygamy to the table, without too many frills and with total naturalness. In this sense, Eichner’s ambition is to incite many conversations around the LGBTQ + community, which he uses to create a story with many layers: masculinity, stereotypes, an obsession with the ideal physique. And especially, the importance of making the struggle of the LGBTQ + community visible and its role in the history of civil rights.

For this Eichner reserves a plot, which forms the backbone of the entire film, the creation of an LGBTQ + History Museum in New York, for which Bobby, his character, serves as the director. This is where Eichner recognizes his privilege as a white cis man and uses it to give a voice to the underrepresented members of the community (trans, bisexual, people of color …), a very diverse group that confronts Jim Rash, Dot-Marie Jones, TS Madison, Miss Lawrence and Eve Lindley. His scenes are as hilarious as they are transcendental, as between one big joke and another, they invite us to reflect on the representation in the cinema (with darts to those brave straight men who play gay just to win prizes), education in schools and the hidden legacy of the LGBTQ + community, thus building an authentic celebration that blends entertainment and activism into a foolproof cocktail, pushing what is usually out of the spotlight into the mainstream.

Eichner refuses to completely go along with the generalist gaze that big studios tend to face, including the frontal issues that cinema usually tackles on tiptoe in order not to scare the conservative audience. Likewise, “Bros” doesn’t filter out when it comes to building their own universe based on winks and references from the LGBTQ + community, with brutally funny dialogues, accomplices references to the collective and their obsessions and absolutely fantastic cameos (Debra Messing is glorious). This can often lead her into niche territory, but Eichner doesn’t forget that she’s shooting a movie for Universal Pictures and wants all audiences to see it. That’s why he makes sure to draw a story that, in addition to proudly extolling what is specific and concrete about the community he represents, also works on all levels as comedy, romance and personal growth story.

Provocative and cool, but not without contradictions

Eichner is a born storyteller. His experience in writing series such as the unpublished in Spain ‘Difficult People’, his great ability to observe society and the world of entertainment and his personal experience help him to create a story in which it is evident that he has turned everything upside down. “Bros” benefits from the comic agility of its creator to give us a comedy that does not slow down, make us laugh constantly and does not run out; a film that knows when it’s time for a good joke and when for a good, introspective or moving moment.

Unfortunately, actor Billy Eichner can’t compete with screenwriter Billy Eichner. His flaws are obvious (Eichner always plays the same character, which is himself), although Macfarlane provides a perfect counterpoint, balancing the pair in the best possible way. The chemistry is there and Macfarlane, who has a lot of experience in romantic comedies (he’s a regular at Hallmark’s TV Movies clone), finds here a perfect valve to prove he’s more than just an attractive guy. His Aaron might be a flat character, your typical sexy guy and object of desire with nothing else, but Macfarlane gives him layers and dimensions that make him something real, with which Eichner talks about things like dating app culture, the specter of masculinity, the cult of the “perfect” body, and the mental problems this can cause..

However, ‘Bros’ is not exempt from its own contradictions. Although it is revolutionary in its contribution to representation in mainstream cinema, it ends up adhering, to a lesser extent, to the norms that it initially aims to blow up. Yes, the all-LGBTQ + cast and the presence of queer and trans people of color is a big step forward, but ultimately the film doesn’t stop revolving around two cis-normative white men. That’s where you can clearly see that the revolution has its limits and that making a film like this for a big studio involves having to adjust to certain parameters, no matter how hard you fight to change others. In this way, and while not lacking in audacity and subversive quality, his critique of mainstream culture and the way he treated queer people in the media is somewhat diluted by his own desire (or obligation) to conform to that very commercial and heteronormative view.

Even with these flaws, “Bros – More Than Friends” is a triumph in many ways. Embarrassed and wildly satirical, bold and unabashedly sexy, bitter and sweet at the same time. Despite the fact that he is sometimes ambitious in everything he wants to encompass, Eichner gets where he wants, and although the film is directed by a straight man, it is always clear that it is conceived by a gay person, as long as a genuineness that does not always you feel it in such products. “Bros – More than friends” is one of the best comedies of the year, arguably the best queer romantic comedy we’ve had recently and one of the most complete and accurate films about LGBTQ + life.. An imperfect compendium, but rich in nuances, which reminds us that our experiences are worthy of occupying all the spaces, that we have always been here and that we do not go anywhere.

Note: 8

The best: It’s fun from start to finish and full of memorable dialogue and lines. Your contribution to LGBTQ + representation is very valuable.

Worse: Eicher’s actor falls short of Eichner’s screenwriter. His contradictions cloud his message a little.