Movie and Television Reviews

I laughed a lot. I'm not necessarily proud of it, but I don't see anything wrong with it, either.

Bruno has almost the exact same plot as Borat: a shocking foreigner comes to America and...shocks Americans. Like Borat, he comes with a charming assistant, here named "Lutz." Like Borat, we get to see Bruno disgust, amuse, and anger both suspecting and unsuspecting "victims." However, whereas Borat chases cocks (it may have been a chicken) in the subway, Bruno...errr...chases them at Army bases, Evangelical churches, Hollywood interviews, and ultimate fighting cages.

You see, Bruno is an uber-gay fashion journalist who's trying to make it in Hollywood.

The trick in this kind of "running joke" movie is to have funny gags. Almost all of them work in Bruno, with the Paula Abdul, Ron Paul, a psychic, an (alleged) terrorist, and two witless publicity twins ones being the funniest. Right below are scenes with hunters, swingers, and Army OCS trainers.

Now, anybody can dress outrageously and swish around the street; Cohen uses higher level humor as well like referring to Bruno's attempt to commit suicide by eating carbohydrates for the first time in 10 years as "carbocide." He mixes "over" with "uber." Well, I thought it was funny.

The shocking part comes from the many direct references to and outright demonstrations of homosexual activity. If this offends you, you will walk out of Bruno the most offended person on earth.

You won't see more sausage at a Berlin butcher shop.

Which brings me to:

Politics/message:

Professional PC groups like GLAAD members are shocked (and angered) that Bruno makes fun of gay people (they don't like stereotypes), proving that everybody likes edgy, brave humor as long as it's not directed at them. And, it is. And, so what? We can't laugh at gay behavior any more?

Diane Medved didn't like the overt sexuality and wonders who would, "Heterosexual males won't be attracted to the crude overt homosexuality."** GLAAD cares about the gay image which is understandable, but Diane Medved is plain wrong. Men joke about homosexuality all of the time. It's the basis for much humor in male-dominated environments: locker rooms, army barracks, role-playing man caves, the only caveat being that homosexuality must be a joke and it's appellation a semi-insult, not the subject of serious contemplation- "Men on Film" (from In Living Color) rather than Brokeback Mountain.

In Living Color - Seasons 1-5

Borat - Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (Widescreen Edition)

Brokeback Mountain (Widescreen Edition)

Bruno's gross this weekend kind of counters Medved. To placate GLAAD, Sacha Baron Cohen has said that he's really making fun of "homophobia," but that's not really true. Nobody in the movie flat-out hates gay people. Some, like the Evangelicals disapprove and try to change gays' behavior (I suspect that Cohen was disappointed that the preacher didn't hit on him), but Cohen has to go to the Middle East and wear an outrageous and disrespectful outfit to get somebody to chase him. Even the people who hate gays like the Fred Phelps group just walk past him. A largely black audience at a Jerry Springer-type show only becomes upset with Bruno when he describes how he's raising little O.J.

What does one learn about Americans' attitude towards gays, then? That if you don't shove gay behavior in strait people's faces, strait people won't care.

Other targets are on the left side of the culture war as well: We have some Zoolander-type fashion world satire, Hollywood hip-charity, and celebrity culture in general.

Zoolander (Special Collector's Edition)

Credits below:

Follow up:

Directed by
Larry Charles

Writing credits
(WGA)
Sacha Baron Cohen (screenplay) &
Anthony Hines (screenplay) &
Dan Mazer (screenplay) &
Jeff Schaffer (screenplay)

Sacha Baron Cohen (story) &
Peter Baynham (story) &
Anthony Hines (story) &
Dan Mazer (story)

Sacha Baron Cohen (character)

Cast (in credits order)

Sacha Baron Cohen ... Brüno

Gustaf Hammarsten ... Lutz

Clifford Bañagale ... Diesel
Chibundu Orukwowu ... O.J.
Chigozie Orukwowu ... O.J.

Josh Meyers ... Kookus
Toby Hoguin ... Mexican Gardener #1
Robert Huerta ... Mexican Gardener #2
Gilbert Rosales ... Mexican Gardener #3

Thomas Rosales Jr. ... Mexican Gardener #4
Marco Xavier ... Mexican Gardener #5

Bono ... 'Dove of Peace'
Chris Martin ... 'Dove of Peace'

Elton John ... 'Dove of Peace'
Slash ... 'Dove of Peace'

Snoop Dogg ... 'Dove of Peace'

Sting ... 'Dove of Peace'
rest of cast listed alphabetically:

Paula Abdul ... Herself (uncredited)

Domiziano Arcangeli ... Fashion Show Director in Milan (uncredited)
Richard Bey ... Himself (uncredited)

Harrison Ford ... Himself (uncredited)

John Grant Gordon ... German Male Model (uncredited)
Ron Paul ... Himself (uncredited)

Stephen Sepher ... Photographer (uncredited)
Alexander von Roon ... German reporter (uncredited)