Brüno
posted June 26, 2009 4:13 PM
What you’re waiting for, in all its nasty, offensive glory
The crown of the reigning king of bad taste must pass from John Waters to Sacha Baron Cohen. After Borat he pushes the envelope even further in Brüno with frontal nudity, graphic sex and Nazi jokes and much worse besides. It’s gross, offensive and puerile in equal measure—but it is impossible not to laugh while you wince and recoil. Prospects, despite the R rating (for pervasive strong and crude sexual content, graphic nudity and language), must be rosy.
The pattern is the same as Borat, except this time Sacha Baron Cohen has created for himself a gay Austrian fashionista who sets off the States with his trusty German assistant to become, in his words, “the biggest gay movie star since Schwarzenegger.”
He finds himself at a loose end after he’s fired from his Austrian television show because he brought the house down, almost literally, when his Velcro outfit created a major incident at a fashion show in Milan.
So what does he get up to in Hollywood? He hosts a TV talk show with guests Paula Abdul and LaToya Jackson, who take to their heels after being served sushi from the body of a naked Mexican. There is a half-hearted attempt to go straight “just like Tom Cruise, John Travolta and Kevin Spacey.” And he calls in a focus group to give their verdicts on a television show he has produced which is totally disgusting.
At one point he becomes chained to his assistant for a bit of bondage and then they try to board a bus—naked and unashamed. There’s a wrestling match in a cave and a swingers’ party that swings in unexpected directions. He tries to seduce Ron Paul, the former Presidential candidate, and there’s a hilarious scene when, acting as the producer of a film, he tells the proud parents of a prospective cast member that their son would be expected to dress as a Nazi and push a wheelbarrow into an oven. Its contents are a Jewish baby. The mother’s unrepentant response is: “That’s fine as long as he gets the gig.”
Much of the fun is to be derived from watching the consternation and reaction of those who are not in on the joke—but after Borat it’s clear many people are wiser and the makers may have had to work harder to spring the surprises.
Its crisp running time ensures that not a second feels labored, and there’s barely enough time to recover from one assault on the senses before another comes along to take your breath away.
Some audiences will embrace it all with a venom, others may shrink from the vulgarity—but whatever your persuasion, a smirk of some kind seems certain to appear from nowhere despite yourself and your better nature. The answer is probably to let it all hang out: our Sacha certainly does.
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Cast: Sacha Baron Cohen, Richard Bey, Ron Paul, Paula Abdul, Domiziano Arcangeli, Emerson Brooks and Alice Evans
Director: Larry Charles
Screenwriters: Sacha Baron Cohen, Dan Mazer, Jeff Schaffer and Anthony Hines
Producers: Monica Levinson, Dan Mazer, Jay Roach and Sacha Baron Cohen
Genre: Comedy
Rating: R for pervasive strong and crude sexual content, graphic nudity and language.
Running time: 83 min.
Release date: July 10, 2009
37 Comments
Leave a comment
Edgar said:
This movie seems really short...
June 28, 2009 6:07 PM
john said:
when is Sacha going to do a movie in black-face? he can have everyone sit around and eat ribs, fried chicken and drink Kool-Aid. Oh, is that offensive? Oh my bad....it would be wrong to portray negative stereo types of a group of people like that.
July 1, 2009 3:00 AM
Jenn said:
Why is crude, rude, perverse, and disgusting acceptable? This looks like the worst movie ever, and I have no desire to see it.
July 6, 2009 7:41 AM
jtgf said:
srthsrth?n
July 6, 2009 12:20 PM
Grandma said:
I can't wait to see it, this is great recipe how to wake up people from naivete and stupidity. It is better to laught from ourselves then hate each other. He is not making fun from any of us, he is just trying to make us think and that is positive.
July 7, 2009 12:59 AM
chino said:
peaple need to relax this movie looks crazy funny I love sasha baron cohen . if you dont think is funny you dont have sense of humor. go see it you will love it also.
July 7, 2009 6:40 PM
Anonymous said:
Ive just seen it, it just roxx...
July 9, 2009 4:22 PM
Charlie said:
Saw the movie, or part of it. Had to leave afer about 25 minutes into it. The fact that this movie is rated R is a joke. It should be rated X. I'm not a homesexual or a homophobic, but I think this movie really would offend either one. Full frontal nudity for almost a minute should be rated X. The skits were not believable. You can tell that everyone was in on the act. Compared to his first movie, this one doesn't even compare. This is garbage. Just an attempt to make money. I would highly, highly, highly not recommend it. You'd be better off renting a video from RedBox.
July 11, 2009 12:30 AM
geff-ory said:
me and eliza-beth can't wait to see this masterpiece =]
July 11, 2009 3:15 AM
thatguy said:
just delete your conscience it probably is just getting in the way of you pursuing pleasure.
July 11, 2009 8:08 AM
Brigitte said:
Some people don't want to be reminded of the bigotry and hypocrisy they secretly harbor inside. Go Bruno Go!
July 11, 2009 5:21 PM
Felix said:
Dear John. Its a Comedy, which part you dont umderstand? I believe that what you just said is more offensive than the whole movie.Maybe you dont know that the guy is Jewish and he was making fun of them,Oh..he is also white and straight and he made fun of them too.My question still is,why did you went and see the movie?
July 11, 2009 8:57 PM
bill said:
bruno was so funny....i laughed the entire time even tho half of the theatre walked out. teenagers willl love this movie.....AWESOME
July 12, 2009 3:18 PM
Stephen said:
This movie was downright horrible! I really wish I would have drove myself so I could have left 20 minutes in. I totally agree this should have been rated X. How anyone can say this movie was good or even decent is way beyond me and makes me really worry about the American people. It was basically one big boring 88 minute long gay joke with no plot. Save yourselves the $8 and don't go see it!
July 12, 2009 6:08 PM
Mr_P said:
I will never understand how people from USA get offended by nudity - god forbids that there would be a cock on screen, much better having 10000 guns and 30000 dead people, because of those guns. Come on people get over yourself!
July 13, 2009 6:22 AM
Keith said:
People that don't understand the core message of Bruno are just ignorant. America is fine with all the violence but is offended by nudity. America is fine with shooting gun and cruel kick boxing ****, but is so offended by two men kissing each other! That is the message! America is just a hypocrite, and especially those ignorant people.
July 13, 2009 6:54 PM
Tommi said:
This movie rocks!! So funny.
Should be M rated like it is here in Oz, What R rated about it? So it show nudity but so does normal TV who cares.
July 13, 2009 11:33 PM
munhgerel from mongolia said:
I hate that kind of movies are very ****
July 14, 2009 7:38 AM
john doe said:
Hands down the funniest movie I have seen in years! Yes,... you must be secure in your sexuality and place in the world to see it but, if your are, you will laugh until you hurt something!
July 14, 2009 10:15 AM
john doe 2 said:
Ghis movie waz awesomez!!!!
Bruno was hilarious!! all the people that say this should be rated x. Are r tards. You dont have to see it.
I recommended it to anyone with a AGOOD sense of humor
July 15, 2009 10:59 AM
autumn said:
this song was so disrespectful on numberous levels.
July 15, 2009 7:39 PM
ANDY said:
I found Bruno to be the biggest waste of my time.Walked out after half the movie
July 16, 2009 7:53 AM
Bill said:
Andy, ur bein a puss
July 16, 2009 8:12 AM
Robert said:
This is a good movie that hits a strong demographic. See it once and if you don't laugh out loud don't see it a second time. LOL
http://robertaguilarjr.com
July 17, 2009 4:14 PM
Azamat Bagatov said:
autumn you are foolish in "numberous" ways.
ANDY, I agree with Bill, you are being a puss.
People need to lighten up and not take life so seriously. Baron Cohen is actually playing off of people's insecurities and phobias. It is truly brilliant. In order to understand it you have to not take yourself so seriously.
Laugh on!
July 17, 2009 5:03 PM
Disgusted in Mpls. said:
This movie should have been rated X for all the male frontal nudity, dildos and swingers party scenes.
I wish I would have known in advance how disgusting it was before wasting money on seeing it in the theater.
I highly discourage people from wasting their money on this trash.
July 18, 2009 7:01 PM
Disgusted in Mpls. said:
I totally agree with Stephen's comments as well.
July 18, 2009 7:15 PM
James said:
I saw the movie. It was realy realy funny and i enjoyed it. But did they realy have to show him and the asain man..having fun right off the bat? Thank god they blocked that out. I only saw 2 poeple walk out the theatre coincidently it was 2 man wearing pink.
Warning do NOT watch this movie in the front row! But simply enjoy the comic genius
July 20, 2009 6:26 PM
Sad said:
Being a HUGE fan of Borat I went in expecting to see a very funny movie. I was sadly dissapointed. Sasha, this is garbage, rare funny moments and way way too much focus your own nudity.
July 21, 2009 5:36 AM
Laugh said:
Hey, do you realize that "Bruno" is a subtle rearrangement of "braun" which is German for brown? His character is essentially Brown-o. He's gay.. get it?
Cohen seems a bit misanthropic and perhaps cruel in this one.. do you think?
July 21, 2009 9:52 AM
Wow... said:
I saw this movie with some friends and my mom (im a teenager). This movie was repulsive. My friends and I walked out and left halfway through the movie as my mom stayed and saw the rest. I will do all i can to NEVER hear about/watch this movie again. Some parts are funny but it is just completely obscene.
July 22, 2009 10:12 PM
wayne said:
plain and simple, FLOP
July 23, 2009 8:42 PM
loco said:
This movie is for bunch of loosers!!!!!
August 8, 2009 7:54 PM
jay shanks said:
if i was gay, i would have liked this movie...
August 9, 2009 10:25 PM
jogger said:
This movei is so sucks till i puked!!!!! Nastty movies shud stay out of the theaters,.... this kinda movie really cheap for publicity...... This movie is crying for help..... Crap!!!!!!
August 9, 2009 10:49 PM
marker said:
this is a piece of crap!!plzz dont waste ur time 2 see this ****ed movie
September 6, 2009 3:10 AM
Steve said:
I saw this movie and thought it was horrible. Because it was so promoted, I kept watching it expecting it to get better but it never did get better. I found nothing about it funny. I'd advise people to pass on this one unless you're the type that find "outrageous" behavior to be funny. The movie is outrageous but nothing about it is funny at all. This is possible the most disappointing movie of the decade.
September 6, 2009 3:25 PM