Skip to main content

Film Review: Bros (2022)

Billy Eichner's has broken new filmmaking ground with this charming, hilarious romantic comedy. Although fairly formulaic (the film checks many required romcom boxes), the movie sets itself apart by telling the story of two men falling in love, played by Eichner (who also co-wrote the script) and Luke Macfarlane (Brothers and Sisters and many Hallmark Channel movies). It's to director Nicholas Stoller's credit that Bros moves forward at a brisk, enjoyable pace. Even during the lengthier scenes in which our two leads talk through their feelings (including a very powerful, passionate monologue delivered by Eichner), the film never feels stalled or sluggish. It's only flaw is this: Bros tries to please everyone and in doing so feels a bit overwhelming with excess that distracts us from the love story. There's a lot of (sometimes heavy handed) political correctness happening that feels as if the creative team were trying to fill the movie with as much as possible - instead of just focusing on two people and their complex romantic journey. We also don't get to spend nearly enough time with the wonderful cast of supporting characters, especially Guillermo Diaz and Jai Rodriguez. We're also left in the dark regarding the dream of Macfarlane's character to become a chocolatier. Yet, there's much to love about Bros, from the fantastic soundtrack, to the exquisite cinematography (terrific film work by Brandon Trost), to the happy-for-now ending. The movie will make you laugh, make you think, and make you fall madly in love - at least for a couple of hours.  

David-Matthew Barnes

⭐⭐⭐⭐🍿🍿🍿🍿

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Film Review: The Adam Project (2022)

Watching Shawn Levy's sci-fi action comedy The Adam Project is a fun, thrilling experience. The concept of the film is clever: a fighter pilot travels back to a specific point in his life, only to meet (and bond with) his younger self. The always-charming Ryan Reynolds is our leading man, playing the grown-up version of Adam Reed. Reynolds continues to prove he knows a thing or two about being funny. Here, his comedic timing is sharper than ever, evident each time he delivers hilarious lines of dialogue. The pairing of Reynolds with young actor Walker Scobell (who plays a 12-year old version of Adam Reed) creates a fantastic comedic duo. Their dynamic is very enjoyable to watch. They are surrounded by an all-star cast, appearing mostly in supporting roles, including Mark Ruffalo and Jennifer Garner (both should've been given more screen time), and a devilish performance by Catherine Keener as an ultra-villain who you will love to hate. At the heart of the film, this is a good

Film Review: The Young Stranger (1957)

Released a year-and-a-half after Rebel Without a Cause , John Frankenheimer's delinquent youth drama The Young Stranger is filled with echoes from the iconic James Dean film. Here, high school student Hal Ditmar (played with a passionate intensity by James MacArthur) is blamed for something he didn't do: assaulting the manager of a local movie theater. Claiming the act was self defense (which it was), MacArthur spends most of the movie trying to convince the other characters of this truth, namely his father who is a wealthy film producer, played by James Daly. The only one who seems to believe in him (albeit not without a layer of doubt) is his mother, played by acclaimed actress Kim Hunter in a subdued role compared to the more powerhouse performances in her remarkable repertoire of work. This is a simple film in that it features a small cast telling a straight forward story that takes place in only a handful of locations. Certainly a precursor to the ABC Afterschool Specials

Film Review: Caged (1950)

Long before there was Orange is the New Black or Wentworth , there was Caged . This women-in-prison film noir from 1950 is an intense, gritty movie that offers an in-depth look into the complicated lives of its characters. Adapted from the story Women Without Men by Virginia Kellogg and Bernard C. Schoenfeld, the script (written by Kellogg) holds nothing back. While the drama is certainly heightened, the film is remarkable in its seemingly realistic depiction of prison life for women (at least for the time it's set in). Kellogg gives us relatable characters to root for and loathe, portrayed by a talented cast of women including Eleanor Parker in an Academy Award nominated lead role, Betty Garde in a heartbreaking performance as homicidal shoplifter Kitty Stark, and Agnes Moorehead as the sympathetic prison superintendent Ruth Benton. A prison movie wouldn't be true to genre without a villain and Hope Emerson gives us a ruthless one in her sadistic portrayal of the evil prison