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The star of the newly formed gay team, at least in Ecki's eyes, is Sven, the male nurse (David Rott). The two boys fall head over heels for each other, but complications arise when Sven discovers that Ecki is using the team more for personal vengeance than for the love of the game.

The team finds a coach in an alcoholic, homophobic, has-been soccer star who warms up to the boys after watching their pathetic practice attempts.

Predictably, when Ecki reveals that he's gay, his father (Dietmar Bar) pretty much disowns him. He finds loving support from his sister, Suzanne (Lisa Maria Potthoff).

In the do-or-die showdown between the bros and the homos, the stakes are high. Not only is Ecki fighting for respect as a gay man (and, by extension, for all gays) but he's desperate to regain his stature as an athlete, and as a son. Remember, this is Germany where, like much of the entire world besides the U.S., soccer is not just a sport, it's a religion.

Will the gays prevail? Will Ecki win back Sven's heart? The climax may not be a surprise, but it's engaging nonetheless.

Like a kick-ass soccer match, Guys and Balls wants nothing more than to entertain, and on that level it scores big. Though the screwball comedy is yet another take on a coming out tale in the “I'm gay, so what!” vein, the refreshingly appealing ensemble and richly textured narrative elevate it beyond standard fare. The curly-locked Brückner makes a winning screen debut as the innocent yet determined Ecki.

To be sure, the film churns out annoying been-there-done-that gay platitudes, such as when Suzanne says about Sven, “Why the heck does every nice-looking guy have to be gay?” And the logic of actually assembling such a gay team is painfully strained. But, for the most part, these lapses are easy to forgive.

Directed by Sherry Hormann, who reportedly knew nothing about soccer when she signed on, the film boasts lively field action sequences that register as authentic. Unless you're a pro, you'd never know the actors also had no soccer experience and were required to join a training camp to polish their moves before cameras started rolling.

Watching Guys and Balls, it's easy to see why films with sports themes are such a hit with gay audiences. It's about the triumph of the underdog, overcoming prejudice, self-discovery, and extracting the hidden joys out of life. And, of course, helping to dissolve the taboo of gays playing sports in a straight world.

And—let's face it—it's also about watching images of sweaty, scantily clad, muscled dudes taking one for the team. These flicks offer a kind of redemption for the viewer as well as the characters—especially for all of us stereotypical fags who were picked second-to-last for soccer in gym class, right before the kid with the crutches.

Guys and Balls opens in New York and Palm Desert on April 28 before expanding to other theaters.

Get more info at the Guys and Balls website

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