One of the most memorable experiences I had at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) this year was attending the world premiere of Bros. For those not in the know, this is the first mainstream LGTBQ romantic comedy financed by a studio, and it stars Billy Eichner, who also co-wrote and directed the film. For all the press it’s receiving, one thing that seems to be missing is that at the end of the day, Bros is hilarious and works well for a mainstream audience. It’s LGTBQ-themed, but it’s a universal story everyone can enjoy. Indeed, watching it at TFF was terrific because the audience reacted to it like it was a rock concert, screaming in laughter from beginning to end.
I was lucky enough to speak to Billy Eichner, his co-stars Luke MacFarlane, Jim Rash (Community), Dot Marie Jones (Glee), Ts Madison, Eve Lindley and Miss Lawrence about the movie, as well as director Nicholas Stoller. In addition to Bros, Stoller directed Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Get Him To The Greek, and The Five-Year Engagement, and his usual producer, Judd Apatow, is also behind this one. In these interviews, everyone discussed how excited they were to see the film connect with a mainstream audience at TIFF, their hopes for the future, and how much everyone misses seeing comedy on the big screen.
Bros opens in theaters tomorrow. Again, this is a hilarious movie that was made for everyone, and even if you don’t think this is a movie for you, you might be wrong (read my review). It’s funny, has a lot of heart, and leaves you with a big smile on your face, which, to be honest, is pretty rare these days as it’s been a while since the last big comedy hit theaters.