Gay movie bro
Billy Eichner, Luke Macfarlane and Nicholas Stoller talk box office flak and on-screen representation in Bros
Earlier this month, American comedian and performer Billy Eichner create himself at the centre of a social media storm.
He had suggested that his new feature, Bros – a raunchy, R-rated passionate comedy about the roller-coaster relationship between two gay men – had underperformed at the US box office because straight audiences didn't show up in sufficient numbers.
His remarks prompted a deluge of counter-theories, criticism and (sadly predictable) homophobia.
"Ninety per cent of the people who immediately had a take on it hadn't seen the movie," laughs Eichner, speaking with ABC Arts in Melbourne, where he, Bros co-star Luke Macfarlane, and co-writer and director Nicholas Stoller have decamped for a whirlwind press tour.
"That's just the fascinating — but I ponder increasingly impossible-to-avoid — element of our culture."
Although Eichner's remarks were seen as disingenuous by some, they were of a piece with the film. By turns nervy, hyperactive, and raucously humorous, Bros is a movie in unchanging dialogue with the cultural moment, with
Billy Eichner on ‘Bros’ — and Why He’s ‘Beyond’ ‘Billy on the Street’
“I never thought a major studio would do an authentically gay film,” says Billy Eichner, “and deal with it the same way they would treat Bridesmaids or 40-Year-Old Virgin or Forgetting Sarah Marshall.” Eichner is the star of Bros, the groundbreaking, hilarious gay rom-com he also co-wrote, which — defying his initial doubts — is due in theaters Sept. 30, with a huge push from Universal Studios.
In the movie, co-written and directed by Nick Stoller (who also directed Sarah Marshall) and co-produced by Judd Apatow (who directed 40-Year-Old Virgin and produced the other two films Eichner mentions), Eichner plays Bobby, a media character who finds his neurotic self-sufficiency disrupted when he falls in love with Aaron (Luke Macfarlane), a guileless lawyer.
For Eichner, arguably still best known for the daredevil comedy of his pedestrian-accosting, celebrity-razzing series Billy on the Street, becoming a leading male at 43 feels favor a belated return to a path he always meant to pursue, and the next step after wel
A fine ‘Bro’-mance
If you’re reading this, you probably already know that “Bros” is a history-making milestone for LGBTQ representation in the movies — the first gay romantic comedy produced by a major Hollywood studio, written by an openly gay man (Billy Eichner) who also stars in it – and that it was made with queer talent filling virtually every role, both on camera and off. The “Billy on the Street” writer/comedian/actor, true to his brand, has been loud-and-proud about his attempts to foster authenticity and inclusivity throughout the making of his film, and rightly so.
Still, now that his much-anticipated movie is finally out, we can finally stop talking about all that. After all, even when a feature scores as many points for LGBTQ representation as this one does, what really matters is whether or not it’s actually any good.
When Eichner was tapped to make his film for Universal, many may have assumed it would be a showcase for his signature comedic persona — acerbic but disarmingly funny, more than a touch manic, somehow confrontational, defiant, and self-deprecating all at the matching time — that would also poke fun at a heteronormative genre beloved just as often by its qu
‘Bros’ Review: Just Your Average Bromance
Do you even chuckle, bro?
In “Bros,” the recent romantic comedy from famed producer Judd Apatow, the answer to this scrutinize is a resounding “sometimes.” Billy Eichner, best established for his iconic series “Billy on the Street,” co-wrote the film’s screenplay and also stars as the sarcastic yet lovable protagonist Bobby Lieber. Despite constantly mentioning to his friends that he is “emotionally unavailable,” Bobby finds himself falling for Luke Macfarlane’s Aaron, a buff lawyer who also fears committing to their burgeoning relationship.
While the film is notable for being one of the first same-sex attracted romantic comedies from a major studio, its boundary-breaking nature cannot make up for what it lacks in the way of consistent humor and solid performances.
By marketing itself as a new R-rated comedy from Eichner, one of the funniest and most boisterous comedians working today, “Bros” sets high expectations for the level of humor at which it will operate. And in many moments, this block (or something near it) is reached, with Eichner’s highly niche popular identity quips hitting the sign. Specifically, Eichner’s jokes about having the lanky phsyique of a
The Plot: New York podcaster Bobby (Billy Eichner) is out, loud and satisfied . He’s curating a museum dedicated to the gay life, if it can ever get off the ground due to internal squabbling amongst the various board members with their own agendas. He doesn’t act commitment, preferring random encounters with guys he picks up at clubs. He bumps into Aaron (Luke Macfarlane) and they hit it off, enjoying each other’s company. They are quite unlike men though and don’t always spot eye-to-eye on things. However, an in advance spark of potential love is there if either of them is willing to be grown-up enough about it…
The Verdict: Being the first of anything is going to be challenging for both filmmakers and the audiences they’re aiming to entice with an open brain. Such is the story of Bros, the first openly gay film to come with the backing of a major Hollywood studio and a extensive release to encourage it. Representation has progressed, moving homosexual films out of the arthouse and into the mainstream. While its lacklustre box office in the US would suggest that it might not be a great movie, the opposite is true. Bros is actually a decent romcom with a be