Brüno

Brüno (2009)

Directed by Larry Charles

Length:81 minutes

Rated R for pervasive strong and crude sexual content, graphic nudity, and language

Vas up? It's time for everybody's favorite gay, Austrian fashionista known simply as

Brüno. I will preface this review with a strong warning: this is not a film for everybody! This is a movie that strives to push the boundaries of what is acceptable and forces you to watch, sometimes in horror, as Brüno convinces a mother to dress her child in Nazi attire as another baby is crucified, tells a Southern Baptist minister he has DSLs, or feigns blowing the ghost of his dead lover Milli from Milli Vanilli. Is it funny? Hysterical! But its humor will definitely be lost on a lot of people. That being said, if you can overcome any potential scruples you may have, you will enjoy seeing a very funny movie.

In the second film featuring a character from the popular HBO series Da Ali G Show, Sacha Baron Cohen (Sweeney Todd, Madagascar 2: Escape from Africa) has once again attempted to push the boundaries in another "mocumentary" style film. Riding high after the success of his previous film Borat, Cohen strives to recreate the controversy and insanity that made him a huge success. Though Borat succeeded in creating controversy, it cannot begin to near the level of absurdity found in Brüno. How this movie avoided earning a NC-17 rating I'll never know, but Cohen certainly succeeds in "one-upping" his previous film in almost every category...almost.

Let's establish right now, Brüno is a very funny movie. Falling from grace after a disastrous snafu at a fashion show, our favorite fashionista leaves for America to achieve stardom, no matter what. Needless to say, an overly flamboyant European isn't exactly what American audiences are looking forward. The situations Brüno finds himself in definitely exceed the border lines of taboo and acceptable. But does Cohen succeed in making a believable, funny yet introspective film like Borat? Admittedly, the film feels a bit more staged than Cohen's previous endeavor. Though typically very funny, it's harder to believe the spontaneity or realism. A perfect example is a hunting expedition with three Southerns that Brüno believes will make him man up; though highly funny, you definitely feel like Cohen had to force more situations this go around.

I believe the reason for this lies with the character. Borat is a much more likable kind of guy. Is this simply because Brüno is gay? Certainly many people are initially put off by this character for that simple reason. What makes Brüno funny is also what makes him a less accessible character. While Borat was simply a guy from Kazakhstan trying to make "romantic explosion" on Pamela Anderson's stomach, Brüno addresses the largest prejudice in the world today. Granted a gay man attempting to make a sex tape with Ron Paul would probably make many people uncomfortable, you should be willing to give Brüno a chance.

My biggest complaint with Brüno lies with the story. As stated, though highly funny, the plot largely is a rehash of Borat...as in the exact same story sans love interest. Brüno comes to America looking for love (in this case fame leads to love) and winds up falling for the most unexpected of characters. Though this is a bit disheartening, it's not enough to take away from some truly brilliant moments. I realize not everyone will enjoy the humor found here, but really this is a very funny movie. If you can find it within yourself, you should definitely gives Brüno a chance...after all, don't we all have a little gay fashionista within us all?

Final Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Favorite Quote:

Reviewer response to Brüno's new show: "It's worse than cancer!"