During a get-together with friends, estranged brothers Lex and David can no longer escape the lies formed by their tragic past in the LGBT+ drama Brotherly Lies.
It has been a few years since we have heard from the writer/director Mark Schwab, as we have had the privilege of reviewing many films that he has either directed himself or been involved in as a producer or actor, in the past. These have included S.E.R.P, The Davenport Vampire, Palindrome, Thin Places, and Crisis Hotline (under its original title of Shadows in Mind) to name but a few. It is easy to see that, as a filmmaker, Schwab is continuously improving, with his latest film Brotherly Lies being a romantic drama and potboiler that focuses on two brothers who have a dark past and a bunch of their friends who all have romantic intentions towards each other. The film is intentionally a (very) slow burn, but for those of you who are happy to stay the distance, you will find some rewards.
Brotherly Lies arrives a couple of months after a bit of a kerfuffle regarding the LGBT+ film-making community and also a few weeks after the right-wing in America condemned Disney’s latest animated releases. The big-budget gay romcom Bros opened in October to mixed reviews and box office, leading its star Billy Eichner to take to Twitter and condemn a certain demographic for not going to watch it. While Disney also had its fair share of right-wing criticism for showing a gay kiss in Lightyear, and having a gay teenager as a lead character in its latest film Strange World. None of this condemnation was warranted, not from Eichner and especially not the Disney criticism which was merely homophobic trolls with their false outrage. But what it does highlight is that there is still a huge amount of work to be done with regard to the acceptance of LGBT+ films in the mainstream.
Writer and director Schwab has done more than most to streamline his films for general consumption. Brotherly Lies is a dialogue-heavy drama that gives good actors great words and lets them roam freely. Using basic camera shots such as close-ups and medium close-ups, Schwab allows his actors to breathe, giving each character their moment. Taking place in one location – a house in the LA hills – where our friends meet is an impressive setup. The cinematography by Adam Bishop manages to make the house seem larger than it is with all the doors surrounding the cast, allowing for many different entrances and exits that set up a number of amusing and embarrassing situations and payoffs. Bishop also has a lot of fun framing a number of beautiful people in front of some beautiful scenery, and although occasionally the film comes across as a soft-focus soap opera, the jazz-infused soundtrack offers enough impact to take your mind off it.
With some decent performances, a fine script, and a patient build-up, the climax comes across as a little anticlimactic, but that does not hinder Schwab’s ability to make an interesting film. What we do know is that Schwab will continue to refine his skills and hone his craft which will enable him to continue to enhance the film industry’s understanding of LGBT+ movies, helping them to better accommodate the stories of a minority community and re-package them for a much larger audience.
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