Cinephile № 981 “Bros”

Recommendation: 4/5 SHOWTIME

Plot: “Two men with commitment problems attempt a relationship.” -IMBD

Review: When Brokeback Mountain was released in 2005, I was not yet out. I was in college, dating a woman, and living a lie. This lie was something I feared would stay buried deep within me for the rest of my life. Watching this film, I did not really connect with the ruggedness of cowboy life, but I related to the moments of quiet truth. Just like the characters on the screen, I sneaked around, lied, and worked desperately to rise above that which tempted me.

I watched Bros as a 38-year-old man who is finally comfortable in his own skin. My days of sneaking around are long gone. I am engaged to a man who I have been openly dating for over 7 years. We are thinking of buying a house and are busy planning life’s next steps.

A subplot to this film is happening outside of the cinema. It is meant to be groundbreaking. Sure, they centered its story on two white, cis-gendered, males living privileged lives in one of America’s wealthiest cities (all facts this film is hyper-aware of from the beginning). But for the first time, movie attendees will get a sense of what it is like to be a gay man dating in the 21st century.

In my estimation, a romantic comedy (for all the faults of the genre) is the perfect vehicle…