'Ideal Home' is, in that sense, held back by writer/director Andrew Fleming's seeming lack of imaginative empathy. Others may be disappointed that “Ideal Home” is not more like ' The Birdcage' or any of Blake Edwards's more inclusive comedies, particularly ' Victor/Victoria.' 'Ideal Home' lacks those earlier comedies' fearless willingness to undercut gay stereotypes with sight gags, pithy one-liners, and dramatic asides that reveal how hard it is to be proud when society’s normalizing standard-bearers don’t see yourself like you do. That’s not necessarily a good look, but some may consequently find the protagonists of “Ideal Home” to be adequate in an overly precious 'Will & Grace' meets ' Mrs. In that sense, the most radical and ostensibly funny thing about Erasmus and Paul is that they get to be openly gay and cartoonishly out-of-touch. Also, they’re seriously loaded, which presumably explains how clueless they are.
All we know about these guys is that they drink, bicker, and are sad about how out of touch they feel. Coogan and Rudd's generally charming performances both give weight to their otherwise wisp-thin characters, but their swishy mannerisms also speak to the superficial nature of Fleming's presentation of Erasmus and Paul.
