Jul 9 2009

Brüno

British humorist/satirist Sacha Baron Cohen returns with his unique style of humor to theatres this weekend as an over the top flamboyant fashionista named Bruno. When fired from his Austrian fashion show, Fashionzeit, Bruno decides to seek fame and fortune in America. But how far will Bruno go to achieve success in America, and how will he ever get over the loss of his first true love– Rob Pilatus of Milli Vanilli? Much like Baron Cohen’s earlier film Borat, Bruno exploits social expectations and turns unsuspecting rubes into the butt of many of his jokes, often to the point it’s uncomfortable to watch. And, with a mix of staged humor, clever editing, and absurdist pranking, the audience is often left to guess as to what is real reaction and what is fiction. Does this make for a good film? Not necessarily; but, it does make for plenty of talking points and almost forces the viewer to question the country we live in. A fair amount of crude humor also makes its way into the film which includes the now obligatory full frontal male nudity, and stereotypical gay jokes. Bottom line Baron Cohen provides as many memorable moments as he does anti moments that in some regards just seem cheap. Worthy of a matinee or rental later when the hype dies down. Bruno is rated R.