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Directed By
Larry Charles
Written By:
Sacha Baron Cohen, Peter Baynham, Anthony Hines, Dan Mazer, Jeff Schaffer
Cast:
Sacha Baron Cohen, Alice Evans, Candice Cunningham, Ben Youcef, Todd Christian Hunter, Emerson Brooks, Amy Tiehel, David Hill, Alexander von Roon, Ron Paul, Domiziano Arcangeli, Sandra Seeling, Paul Barba, Richard Bey, Tara Macken, Trishelle Cannatella, Kea Könneker, Tom Yi
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Bruno (2009)
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Movie Review by Jarrod
July 10th, 2009
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'Bruno' may be the most outrageous comedy I have ever seen; even more outrageous than Borat, which was so daring and crude, I often wondered how Sacha Baron Cohen got away with some of the stunts he pulled. If we define great acting as the ability to transform completely into a character, then that fits Cohen extremely well. We often forget that Bruno is a character, and Cohen never falters, in either his perfect, though obviously exaggerated, German accent, his effeminate appearance or his flamboyant, narcissistic behavior. Cohen relies a bit too much on staged sequences, and the humor he employs is often cruel, but he is willing to put himself out there to make us laugh, maybe laugh and wince simultaneously, since he once again reveals some painful truths about bigotry, homophobia, and racism in American society. Yes, Bruno is gay. Very gay. A flaming queen. He flaunts his homosexuality shamelessly, and intends to shock and offend. Bruno is an Austrian TV star, host of a fashion show called Funkyzeit.
His career is nearly ruined following a disastrous wardrobe malfunction at Milan Fashion Week (involving a velcro suit), where he makes a guest appearance, and he sets off to Hollywood seeking fame and fortune. His traveling companion this time is not Ken Davitian, but rather his faithful assistant Lutz (Gustaf Hammarsten). Cohen attacks everything, celebrity culture, movies, television, and music, but he tends to pick soft and easy targets this time around, like Paula Abdul, who is not all that hard to make a fool out of, if her antics on American idol are any indication.
Borat focused on anti-Semitism as a major theme, with Borat himself convinced that Jews carried out 9/11, could turn into c*ckroaches, and were concerned only with money. Here, homophobia is the primary focus, and Bruno is so in-your-face about it that he could alienate and annoy even the most tolerant amongst us.
As with Borat, Bruno is about Cohen's interactions with ordinary people, or what are presented as ordinary people, like a group of redneck hunters. As mentioned before, I frequently doubted the authenticity of certain scenes, and realizing they are staged sort of diminish their comic value, though they are still funny.
There is an awkward segment with former presidential candidate Ron Paul (whom he mistakes for RuPaul, the drag queen icon), duped into a sit-down with Bruno, who then tries to seduce him, and Paul leaves in disgust, storming out of the room while uttering the word "queer", in reference to Bruno, of course. I felt sorry for Paul, in a sense, because he is disturbed by the encounter, and bewildered, but it is daring, unpredictable gags like this that make 'Bruno' so wickedly and deliciously entertaining.
Another segment has Bruno on a talk show, with an adorable little black baby Bruno claims to have adopted in Africa, following in the footsteps of Madonna and Angelina Jolie. I am sure that host Richard Bey is in on the joke, but his predominantly black audience, most definitely is not. Bruno reveals that he has given the infant the traditional African name of "OJ", and then proceeds to remark that he obtained the child by swapping him for an iPod.
He pays a visit to a "gay converter" in Alabama, a minister who believes gay people can be cured. Cohen brilliantly parodies that ridiculous concept, and exposes this whole process as a pathetic fraud. There are gay wrestling matches (two men get aroused while grappling with one another, addressing the homoeroticism present in wrestling, considered a very macho sport) and images of dancing penises. He confuses Hamas with hummus during a meeting with representatives of Israel and Palestine. He camps out with a trio of redneck hunters, and attends a swingers party.
Copious amounts of mostly male nudity, but it is typically accompanied by black bars covering the genitalia, which I suppose was necessary to avoid the dreaded NC-17 rating, which would actually be suitable here, since no one under 18 really deserves to see this, regardless of their perceived maturity level. Footage of LaToya Jackson was removed due to the recent death of her brother. Surprising, though uncredited, cameo from Harrison Ford.
'Bruno' is frequently hysterical, exceedingly vulgar and completely tasteless, and I was helpless to resist its perverse charms. I wonder how long Cohen could continue this, as his popularity grows, and more folks are aware of who he is, but I hear he is going to retire both Bruno and Borat, perhaps devise a new, unfamiliar character. I hardly recognized Cohen as Bruno; he can disguise himself as effectively as a chameleon. His dexterity and commitment to each role is astonishing. Should be honored for its boldness and originality, two things absent from most modern comedies.
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 | allen fort
Jul 11, 2009 10:48 PM
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| After seeing the movie I wondered how someone could honestly review this film. Jarrod has done an exceptional job. Strong work. Insightful, "spot on" and honest. I will be astonished if I see a better review. My guess is that most syndicated reviewers will dodge many of the issues put forward by this movie. Hope I am wrong. |
 | Xavier
Jul 15, 2009 3:46 PM
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| Aye, good review. |
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