BRUNO (USA 2009) **
Directed by Larry Charles

One of the most anticipated raunchy comedies this year is Sacha Baron Cohen’s BRUNO.  Bruno is a gay Austrian model/TV reporter, one of Cohen’s 3 characters (The others being Ali G and Borat) from his hit Brit TV series that surprisingly never made it here, except for a few episodes. 

After two films ALI G INDAHOUSE and BORAT hit the theatres, the last in 2006 to much success, Cohen’s fame and notoriety is world famous.  This poses a problem – as most of the comedy of the characters involves him as Ali G, Borat or Bruno doing fake interviews with famous people, politicians and celebrities and getting their goat after he makes outrageous comments.  For BRUNO, this stint mainly involves him shocking unsuspecting people with rude homosexual antics.
As BRUNO the film begins, Cohen begins annoying his characters on screen.  Whether gate crashing a high end fashion show or a totally straight sex swingers’ party, Bruno does his thing.  Fake interviews, as with Republican Ron Paul are present as well, but these are relatively few compared to BORAT or his TV series.  But most of Bruno’s antics appear staged for two reasons.  One is that most appear too perfectly funny and the other obvious reason as already stated is Cohen’s known notoriety. 

As in BORAT, director Larry Charles (BORAT, RELIGULOUS) and Cohen follow the same loose film format.  Basically, anything goes, so long as it generates laughter.  The result is the audience feeling that the film is nothing more than a series of skits hastily patched together.  The purpose of Bruno’s road trip travelling around the world (as opposed to only travelling around American in BORAT) is his quest to achieve fame.  Of course, a little message is included (can one love a Plain Jane?) in the proceedings as well.  But the main message of the film is the senselessness of looking at stereotypes.  A little romance, taken a bit too far, is added to the plot.

Oddly enough, the gay character of Bruno will more likely amuse straight rather than gay audiences.  Most of the gay antics designed to shock (like the ***censored***, rimming and male sex scenes) are more than familiar to gay audiences than to straight. 

Cohen works extremely hard (and it shows) with his character Bruno.  Often tying himself up in leather, chains or Velcro, he should let his film pause once a while to let the film breathe a little.  The best part of the film is however, at the end with recognizable real celebrities including Snoop Dogg, Elton John, Sting, Bono, Chris Martin and Slash singing to the end credits.