Review: Hilarious 'Bros' proudly breaks rom-com boundaries

Love is love is love, we're told, a platitude that Billy Eichner rails against in "Bros," his uproariously funny, convention shattering and completely charming gay romantic comedy.

The "love is love" argument, he says, is condescending; it's what straight people say to show how supposedly progressive and accepting they are toward gay couples. Love is not love, Eichner says, it's different, and in "Bros" he's able to have it both ways, embracing the rules and traditions of classic romantic comedies — "When Harry Met Sally" and "You've Got Mail" are just two signposts that are name-checked on screen — while also telling a fresh, modern story that is open to and embracing of the differences of which he speaks.

It's not just a romantic comedy. It's a revolution.

Eichner, whose flustered, manic comic persona was honed on his free-form urban game show "Billy on the Street," plays Bobby Lieber, a self-described "cis white gay man" who is in his 40s and has never been in love. Eichner's character is very close to Eichner the person; like his character, Eichner is also a native New Yorker whose parents died when he was young, who were never able to see him succeed. "Bros" is his unpacking of the story he's longed to tell, and also has been telling his whole life.

Bobby is a hugely successful podcaster who is looking for more than empty Grindr hook-ups — "Bros" is very literate in the rhythms and nuances of online dating — but who also prides himself on his emotional unavailability. He meets his match in Aaron (Canadian actor Luke Macfarlane, a breakout), a super buff jock-type who, too, says he's not looking for anything serious in a relationship. These two circle each other and eventually break down each other's walls, one brick at a time.

The scenario is familiar, it's the execution that is boundary-pushing — multiple foursomes! — at least in terms of what we're used to from a studio rom-com. ("Bros" is touted as the first major studio picture featuring an entirely LGBTQ+ principal cast.)

And Eichner, who wrote the script along with director Nicholas Stoller ("Forgetting Sarah Marshall," "Neighbors"), puts his pop culture obsessive stamp all over the movie. There are jokes about and references to "Schitt's Creek," "Queer Eye," "Dear Evan Hansen," "Bohemian Rhapsody," Debra Messing, Hallmark Christmas movies, "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" and Lil Nas X, some of which are cutting, some of which are loving, and some of which are lovingly cutting.

The cast is dotted with familiar faces, including Jim Rash, Amanda Bearse, Harvey Fierstein and "SNL's" Bowen Yang. And it pays homage to queer icons from Mariah Carey to Barbra Streisand, while also making sharp observances about modern dating, technology and Hollywood's stunted portrayal of gay romance.

It all feels fresh and bright, and rightfully self-congratulatory in ways it has earned. If there's a bit of a chemistry gap between Bobby and Aaron's characters — Bobby's aggressive neuroses are at odds with Aaron's Zen, chill vibes — it can be chalked up to rom-com magic: were Tom Hanks' big chain exec and Meg Ryan's small bookstore owner exactly right for each other? Love is love!

And "Bros" happily blazes its own trail, using the familiar tropes of romantic comedies as its guide, and in turn taking its place in the pantheon of great rom-coms. It doesn't politely knock on the door, it kicks it down. And while "Bros" may follow a formula, it proudly shows that doesn't have to mean playing it straight.

agraham@detroitnews.com

@grahamorama

'Bros'

GRADE: B+

Rated R: for strong sexual content, language throughout and some drug use

Running time: 115 minutes

In theaters