Bruno
Sacha Baron Cohen is back and no one is safe
2009-07-10
By Sergio A. Mims

CAST: Sacha Baron Cohen
               Gustaf Hammarsten
WRITTEN BY: Sacha Baron Cohen, Anthony Himes, Dan Mazer and Jeff Schaffer
DIRECTED BY: Larry Charles
****1/2 THREE AND A HALF STARS

After his mind blowing and controversial mockumentary Borat in 2006, the immediate question for satirist and comic Sacha Baron Cohen was how to top something already way over the top. The answer, he soon announced, would be a film based on arguably the least realized character from theHBO show,  Ali G, Bruno, a flamboyantly gay, egocentric, and moronic Austrian clothing designer with an absolute disregard for protocol and tact who trampled over every sensibility in his quest for fame.

The character’s sketches on the TV show barely contained material enough for a five minute segment, let alone a feature length film. But the doubts have proved wrong since Cohen’s new pseudo-documentary, Bruno. is an absolutely brilliant, rude, vulgar, obscene and outrageous triumph that is far and way the funniest film of the year.

Cohen, a Cambridge University trained Brit who is clearly influenced by the rule-breaking, off-the-wall, anti-establishment comedy of Andy Kaufman and Monty Python, is completely fearless.

The film is not for the faint of heart. He pushes, with intentional malice and unbridled glee, the boundaries of
decency and good taste way beyond the breaking point. His humor is designed to make your squirm as you roll in the aisle exhausted from laughter. He’s rude, crude and very
dangerous.

Yet the brilliant and deadly undercurrent that runs through most of Baron’s humor is exposing the ugly underbelly of bigotry and closed-mindedness of America and now with Bruno, the entire world as well. In the film, Cohen takes us on a global quest as Bruno and his love struck assistant Lutz (Hammersten) travel from Europe to Hollywood to the South  and Midwest and even the Israeli West Bank in  his desperately attempt to become a world famous celebrity.

After numerous tries, including appearing on a Springer-like TV show,adopting an African baby in the footsteps of Angelina and a sure to be talked about visit to a psychic to contact the spirit of Rob Pilatus of Milli Vanilli, Bruno decides that gayness is a hindrance and it’s best to become straight. It’s a transformation that takes him to preachers who claim to “cure” gay people, swinger’s clubs and a group of slack jawed hunters in Alabama who are only steps away from the movie Deliverance.

In this satire, where Cohen and director Larry Charles makes fools of the naive and trusting victims from Paula Abdul, dim witted Hollywood PR consultants, martial arts instructors  to actual Palestinian terrorists,  no one is safe and fools get their just desserts.

Though the film does have a ragged, scattershot approach and some scenes look suspiciously staged, Bruno is a comic triumph. If you like your comedies tame and family friendly then be advised to stay far away. But if you love risk taking, nasty, and cutthroat humor that takes no prisoners regardless of race creed, religion or sexual preference, then Bruno is the film for you.

Film critic, lecturer and festival consultant Sergio Mims covers all things film from the city that works, Chicago. He is a regular contributor to EbonyJet.com.