6 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Bros is a smart, swoony, and heartfelt comedy about two gay men and how hard it is to find another tolerable human being to go through life with.
Starring: Billy Eichner, Luke Macfarlane, Guy Branum, Miss Lawrence, TS MadisonComedy | Insignificant |
Romance | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French (Canada): DTS 5.1
Spanish: DTS 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH, French, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
Digital copy
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
As someone who grew up in an era when guys who didn't conform to expected "masculine" behaviors (not necessarily limited to being attracted to women) were often pummeled verbally with nasty epithets and in the worst cases actually physically by bullying types, one of the really cool things about watching my own sons grow up decades later in an arguably somewhat more tolerant society is seeing how things like sexual preference or perceived "normal" ways of behaving don't invite the same general umbrage that they used to. In fact, instead of umbrage, some may say that people are downright indifferent about such things these days, at least as evidenced by the less than thrilling box office receipts that Bros racked up during its brief theatrical exhibition. This film was hugely marketed as a big studio LGBTQ+ production, and in fact the very plot revolves around what might be called "LGBTQ+ branding" (as in a museum at the center of the story that bears that very acronym), but for whatever reason, it failed to connect with audiences. What I think might have played into this, however ironic it may be, is that Bros, while claiming to be "the first gay rom-com" (or something like that) is in fact too generic even despite its focus on two guys hooking up. This is especially odd given its imprimatur and its obvious emphasis on gay pride, but the good news is, even generic outings can often be funny, and Bros does offer some nicely written characters who deliver some charming banter.
Bros is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Universal Studios with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.39:1. The IMDb doesn't have a wealth of technical data, but the Arriraw datapoint suggests an Alexa camera (yes, folks, that's a joke), though the resolution of the DI is still unlisted as of the writing of this review. I frankly wouldn't be surprised to find out that a 4K DI was utilized, as detail levels are typically excellent across the board in this presentation. The palette is bright and inviting almost all of the time, and kind of thankfully, things don't seem to have been aggressively graded very much, though certain scenes, as in the nightclub where Bobby first spies Aaron, are certainly lit aggressively, though commendably fine detail levels only rarely falter.
Bros features an intermittently rambunctious DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that derives quite a bit of energy from a number of larger crowd scenes where the side and rear channels are clearly engaged. Perhaps surprisingly, the film does not offer a nonstop array of source cues, but the underscore by Marc Shaiman does also waft through the surround channels engagingly. Dialogue is always rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English, French and Spanish subtitles are available.
In a way, Bros may have fell victim to its own hype. Can any one movie suddenly reinvent a genre in its own image, as this one was advertised as doing? It might be best to see Bros as an encouraging first step rather than a be all end all. Technical merits are solid and the supplements very appealing. Recommended.
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