Bruno

[Abbie Normal]

Michael Jackson's death sent producers of Sacha Baron Cohen's latest comedy "Bruno" into a tailspin Thursday as they scrambled to cut scenes in which the comedian takes more than a few shots at Jackson's sister, LaToya Jackson, hours before the film's Los Angeles premiere, AFP reported.

In "Bruno," Cohen convinces LaToya that he is an Austrian fashion journalist while poking fun at her, but producers felt the joke was in bad taste after hearing of her brother Michael's death.

In the scene, watched by viewers at previous showings, LaToya Jackson eats sushi off the body of a naked Mexican worker acting as a table. It was missing during Thursday night's premiere and will not likely be restored before the film opens in the U.S. on July 10.

"Bruno" is a follow-up to Cohen's smash-hit mockumentary "Borat", and sees the comic playing a flamboyant, celebrity-obsessed Austrian fashion journalist seeking to become famous in the United States.

Also on Thursday, fans mourning Michael Jackson poured on to Hollywood Boulevard to lay flowers on his walk-of-fame star. However, they were on the wrong Michael Jackson.

Because the singer's star is currently covered by the red carpet put down for the "Bruno" premiere, passersby accidentally went to the star belonging to radio talk show host Michael Jackson, the Wall Street Journal reported.

I wonder if that cut scene will make the dvd. I hope it is another hit like Borat. I would like to see a good Ali G movie.

[Preston_79]

Ali G started off as my favorite, but yes, the Ali G movie was boring. If only it had been done in mockumentary style like it's predecessors. Borat was impressive.

Sucks that another scene will be left under the chopping block, but one can only hope that it will be included in the dvd later.

[Imsomuchbetter]

I think the Latoya scene would have put MORE people in the audience, not LESS. Who cares if its in bad taste IMO...

[Bourne101]

It's called respect. If those scenes were in the film, imagine how terribly awkward it would have been at that premiere. Kudos to the filmmakers for removing the scenes and it is not necessary at all to put them back into the film for theatrical release or DVD.

As for Bruno, looks funny as hell and I can't wait to see it.

[Smarmy Douche]

Cohen's schtick has two levels, moderately amusing and totally boring. Most of it is the latter, including this.

[Tweek]

This movie opens on July 10th...Too soon for a thread. Closing it until next Thursday.

[Tweek]

I forgot about this thread. Anyway, it's opened back up!

[echo_bravo]

Cohen is definitely funny (dont get me wrong)

BUT, Tom Green was doing the exact same thing back in the late 90s.

I am a bit hesitant to call Cohen a genius. I think after hearing that the whole Eminem thing was staged, I kinda lost some respect for the guy. I mean, if Eminem and his crew were in on it...whats the risk then???

[Jig Saw 123]

This looks funny. I was a fan of Borat, but this looks funnier yet of course more stagged. I will be there opening night.

[HurricanesR1]

looks ridiculous just like Borat

[Tweek]

You know...I think Sacha Baron Cohen is an attractive guy when he's not in character. I saw this magazine cover in the bookstore today and was frightened, though:

I'm linking to it and not embedding it because I'd consider it NSFW:

http://assets.gearlive.com/celebrities/blogimages/bruno_GQ1.jpeg

[Borris]

I was at an advance screening of Bruno last night and thought I'd share my thoughts on it. Higlight for spoilers...

Bruno is a story about the titular Austrian and his attempts to become world famous after he looses his local television show after a mishap on a fashion show runway. His journey takes him to America where he meets several people that help guide him to world fame. Along for the journey is his assistant's assistant, who just happens to be the only person left that belives in Bruno after he looses his Austrian show. Bruno tries several things to gain his world fame including starting a celebrity talk show featuring Paula Abul and Harrison Ford, becoming an extra on a TV show, adopting a world-issue for charity, making a sex tape, and even going straight.
At one point, there was going to be a scene that involved Latoya Jackson and Bruno looking through her iPhone and then reading out Michael's phone number to his assistant. This scene has been cut from the final print. The final runtime was just at 80 minutes.
While I found the original Borat to be frickin' hilarious, I thought Bruno felt a little bit forced with the situations seeming a little too staged. It's obvious that Sasha leaned on the studio (Universal) for a few of his gimmics including a TV talk show where he is a guest and introduces his bartered African child. The set looks very similar to part of the Jerry Springer set that is also owned by Universal. When Bruno gets a job as an extra on the show Medium (also NBC Universal) the humor starts to dry up. This is not to say that Bruno is devoid of humor; quite the contrary actually. But, it relies more on shock humor more often than dialog humor.
This shock humor starts shortly after the beginning of the film when Bruno introduces his little Philipino boyfriend and then performs various sex acts with him (covered up by black boxes). It returns later with Bruno performing oral on the spirit of Milli from Milli Vanilli at a psychic's office, and culminates in the end with a staged wrestling match that turns into something else.
Whereas Borat felt very candid, Bruno does not. It felt scripted right up to the end where Bruno sings a we-are-the-world-esque song with Bono, Sting, Elton John, and Snoop Dog. One of the best lines of the film is when Snoop Dog refers to Bruno as "the white Obama".

Overall 5/10
Worth a rental or matinee, no repeatability

Movie not reccomended for kids or people that hate gays, straights, swingers, Jews, Africans, African-Americans, whites, Philipinos, Germans...or Hitler. They are all made fun of. Enjoy.

[Hucksta G]

I thought it was hilarious!

9/10

[gyro_44]

Cohen is definitely funny (dont get me wrong)

BUT, Tom Green was doing the exact same thing back in the late 90s.

I am a bit hesitant to call Cohen a genius. I think after hearing that the whole Eminem thing was staged, I kinda lost some respect for the guy. I mean, if Eminem and his crew were in on it...whats the risk then???
Come on, Cohen has done a great deal of "staged" material (including, among other bits, the Pam Anderson scene in Borat) in the past. You are probably right, having Bruno land on Eminem unrehearsed would have been pretty damn risky and probably hilarious. But then Enimem might have punched Cohen right in the junk, and probably would have sued MTV and Cohen for some kind of defamation or harrassment. So I guess I can understand why these things are staged.

What Cohen does is a bit more sophisticated than what Tom Green ever did, in my opinion.

[Kevin Smith fan]

Cohen is definitely funny (dont get me wrong)

BUT, Tom Green was doing the exact same thing back in the late 90s.

I am a bit hesitant to call Cohen a genius. I think after hearing that the whole Eminem thing was staged, I kinda lost some respect for the guy. I mean, if Eminem and his crew were in on it...whats the risk then???

I don't think you're missing the point here dude.

Tom Green is where he is today because his shtick was sheer shock value. He's like a little kid trying to impress everyone buy doing something outrageous and asking "Am I cool yet?"

Cohen is making a statement with each film he makes. In Borat, it was to show how racist American culture remains to this very day.

In Bruno it appears that he's doing the same thing with homophobia in America.

Meanwhile Tom Green playing with dead animals serves no purpose other than his own child like amusement.

[Mr.HyDe807]

I didn't think Borat was all that, but the trailer for this looks pretty funny. I'll probably check this out.

[SkyNet]

saw a sneak peak on tuesday... thought the shit was hilarious.. but it wasnt as comical as Borat... but it did have great bits that had me rolling.

[Earl Bonds]

90% of the movie is staged, just like Bruno, some fake lawsuits will pop up to further the advertising. The trailer looked like shit

[zombievictim]

Go troll somewhere else.

[SkyNet]

you have seen it?

Because the majority of it isn't staged, and you show your ignorance when proclaiming it is, when the fact points to a reality at the opposite end of the spectrum to your original claim.

thanks for playing

[Johnni G]

I hope it will follow in the funny footsteps of Borat and be a worhty comedy film.

[Earl Bonds]

Of Course, someone doesn't agree with the masses, then their retarded, I forgot what website I'm posting at for a second...

[overwatch]

Dude, you can't even spell the name of your favourite movie properly.

Anyway I just saw it and it wasn't bad. The storyline (what storyline right?) is basically exactly the same as Borat. He's famous in his own country, he goes to America with a friend the friends seperate temporarily and then end up back together.

Very funny, but at the same time not quite as good as Borat.

[echo_bravo]

What Cohen does is a bit more sophisticated than what Tom Green ever did, in my opinion.

Ummm "more sophisticated"???:confused:
Smacking someone with a dildo is more sophisticated than rubbing your bum on someone's face? Hmm

Dont get me wrong I am wanting to see Bruno this weekend but it takes the fun out of it knowing that some parts are completely staged.
The whole kidnapping Pam Anderson was beyond lame IMO.

[gyro_44]

Ummm "more sophisticated"???:confused:
Smacking someone with a dildo is more sophisticated than rubbing your bum on someone's face? Hmm.
No, but someone doing sort of a unique social experiment exposing the basic racism/sexism/homophobia/prejudices of ignorant people actually requires an intelligent and sophisticated brand of comedy, that goes well beyond dildos, genitalia and naked man-on-man brawls. Cohen actually seems to have a point to make, and I'm not sure Tom Green ever did. Just my thoughts.

I'll be seeing Bruno at some point soon, but I might wait a bit for the crowds to die down.

[Reigh Kaufman]

Remember that Cohen attended Cambridge. He's not a halfwit.

I liked Tom Green - he was very much "of his time" - but he said nothing and he said it very crassly. Cohen at least eviscerates social mores and attitudes.

The film, for what it is worth, was very funny at the cinema, and people laughed, but like Borat it will drop two marks in the rewatch.

[echo_bravo]

No, but someone doing sort of a unique social experiment exposing the basic racism/sexism/homophobia/prejudices of ignorant people actually requires an intelligent and sophisticated brand of comedy, that goes well beyond dildos, genitalia and naked man-on-man brawls. Cohen actually seems to have a point to make, and I'm not sure Tom Green ever did. Just my thoughts.
.

Sorry but I am just not buying it. His characters like Ali G, Bruno and Borat are good at providing cheap laughs but thats about it.
I do think Cohen is a talented comic but I am not gonna go over board on the praise for him.

I will be seeing Bruno tomorrow with a bunch of my buddies so it should be a good time. I do look foward to the infamous cage match set in Arkansas. Apparently Bruno almost got killed there.

[zombievictim]

Wow. Are people seriously comparing Tom Green to Sacha Baron Cohen? It's like comparing Ratner to Speilberg.

[MisterTwister]

Downright the funniest movie I've seen this year so far. I haven't laughed this hard in the longest time.

9/10

[Cop No. 633]

I came, I saw, I laughed. Pretty simple. If you like his style of comedy, you'll most likely enjoy it. He does a great job at getting under people's skin. The best parts are how he can make people feel very comfortable with the elaborate setups (like Paula Abdul) and then pull the carpet out from under them. Straight Dave was hilarious. The funniest person was that weird pudgy guy in the crowd. It looked like he wanted to cry. It was priceless.

7/10

[Bahs]

seeing this in less than an hour.
VERY EXITE.
going to probably get a little baked before also.

I like Cohen and appreciate his humor, especially the bits that comically expose racism/homophobia/sexism/prejudice-i think its very clever.

[BakeTheMooCow]

It is pretty funny, like during the gay conversion preachers, swingers party, the talk show, Bruno being an extra and some others. Actually, most of the stuff that is meant to be funny actually is.

But as a movie that's lampooning homophobia, it doesn't work. There are too many moments where people may just be uncomfortable and not uncomfortable with homosexuality. Ron Paul sees a guy in his room flirting with him and stripping naked and gets upset. So what? He does use the word 'queer' angrily, but there's not much there to showcase and it's an understandable reaction otherwise. Same with Bruno taking off his clothes and going into another man's tent or explicit content during the focus group. Funny stuff, but no additional layer to the comedy there really. Now the finale was actually interesting because the crowd got so violent.

So just as a comedy, it works. But a lot of time is spent on this "message" part of the movie (including some boring fake scenes with Lutz) that either has weak punchlines or doesn't explore the material well enough to say something new or thought-provoking.

6/10

[Bahs]

.

[Bahs]

minor spoilers below

After getting warned by an employee when buying my ticket, then warned again of offensive subject matter before i got in, i was pretty stoked.

Started off fairly funny and over the top, but slightly underwhelmed. During the middle parts of the movie i was very entertained and was in stitches during a few scenes, such as the dancing/talking penis, Ron Paul scene, The Army scene and the hunting trip scene. but other than that i felt like it just couldn't live up to Borat. Yes, its funny and yes, i laughed the entire time, but slightly under-par from the hype.

Another thing is that my (male) friends did not like it, because it was "too gay", but i feel like if you dont like it because of that reason, then your part of the joke too--homophobes, ha.
7/10

[Spidey]

From all the reviews I read I expected it to be funnier, the bit with the test audience and the scene where he was tied up to his assistant were the best.

+++SPOILERS+++

Did he really meet up with a terrorist leader or was that staged too ? If so, he has some balls.

[overwatch]

That was real, told the story of how it went on Letterman I think. Sounded plausible.

[Jig Saw 123]

http://media.hollyscoop.com/Images/PGImages/69025559---bruno_movie_sasha_baron_coh.jpg

Bruno is another character from the Ali G show who gets a film adaptation, but does this character live up to the same standards Borat set? Simply no. This film of course is obviously more staged which watered down the film a majority of the time. Other parts seemed rather forced and as if Sacha was trying to hard to be funny. I don't get how people are saying Sacha is trying to make a statement with this film about showing America's homophobia if a homosexual was beginning to come onto you as Bruno did I'm pretty sure you would begin to build that resentment.

The best scenes included; Ron Paul, Swinger Party, Hunting Trip, the baby interviews and Bruno going to the Middle East. Otherwise the talk show isn't funny because all the best parts are given away in the trailer.

The love story within the film made sense in the same extent that the friendship story made since from Borat. The ending tune wasn't that bad it was better than how Borat ended. Overall I thought Bruno was disappointing in comparison to his previous film.

6/10

[detective mills]

I thought it was pretty damn funny. I've always found Bruno funny since Da Ali G Show though. The test group was the funniest part imo.

8/10

[CreeperBEATNGU]

I don't get how people are saying Sacha is trying to make a statement with this film about showing America's homophobia if a homosexual was beginning to come onto you as Bruno did I'm pretty sure you would begin to build that resentment.

Yeah, that's pretty much the liberal media in general; shove vulgar, crude, disgusting "humor" in the audiences face, then call them ignorant prudes if they don't find it funny.

I thought Borat was pretty funny for the most part and I generally like Cohen (never saw Ali G but I liked him in Talladega Nights, Sweeney Todd, and Borat), so I'll probably see this today or tomorrow; based on what I've been hearing, I'm prepared for a pretty reasonable chance that I might hate it.

[DarkKnight81]

7/10 Good but not great like Borat. Don't take your parents to this movie.

[Z_oasis]

I guess i have to disagree with some and say this is Better than Borat in my opinion. It shows how people get really uncomfortable around gays and show how stupid and selfish the "hollywood" type people are. Insults both sides perfectly. I laughed out loud two times more than Borat. Id rather take a "trying to be famous" storyline over a "Marry Pamela Anderson" storyline any day. Granted Borat had more one liners, Bruno was more shocking. Loved It.

4.5/5

[Z_oasis]

PS. **Some Quick Spoilers**






Harrison Ford little cameo....PRICELESS!!

[Tonkuro]

I liked Bruno more than Borat. Maybe it's because I'm female and big bay fashionistas entertain me more than clueless foreigners (even though both characters are). Of course, Bruno has to go to the worst parts of the country for homophobia and its bigoted examples, but it made for an entertaining watch. The best parts were definately the test audience, baby OJ, Ron Paul, and the swingers party/dominatrix.

9/10.

[echo_bravo]

Some parts were pretty damn funny. I liked it a lot more than Borat which has zero rewatch value for me.

I was actually surprised how nice some of the people were to him. For example, the hunters were all pretty accepting of him until he tried to get into one of their tents...naked. I probably would of reacted the same way.

The cage fight setup was hilarious. My friends and I all lost it when the Titanic song came on.

Overall, definitely worth seeing cause its funny. However, there isnt really anything earthshattering or groundbreaking about it. Most of it is just cheap laughs and perverted stunts (basically like Jackass)

7/10

[xseanymacx]

8/10. I also found this funnier than Borat.

**Spoilers***










I swear I almost pissed my pants when the Dominatrix started whipping him.

[ericdraven]

Yeah, that's pretty much the liberal media in general; shove vulgar, crude, disgusting "humor" in the audiences face, then call them ignorant prudes if they don't find it funny.

Oh really? I remember a movie that was number one where it had one of the characters in the credits, have a photo taken of him having his penis sucked by a hooker? So, this movie can't show penis, yet that can? I think that is called a double standard.




Anyway, I got back from this movie, and I have to say, I was just busting out laughing so hard at some of the stuff that he was doing. but the movie dragged a bit in some parts, like he was putting filler in after the best jokes. But neverless, it is probably one of the best comedies of the year, and possibly one of the best comedies of the decade.

8/10

[optimusprime24]

I thought the movie was pretty hilarious. I liked it more than Borat. The whole audience was laughing like crazy during the movie. When the movie was over, I was sweating and I was about to pee my pants. That's how funny it was.
9.5/10

[FilmJunkie1114]

I had a fucking headache from laughing so much when it was done. Funniest movie of the year by far; my girlfriend was literally sobbing from laughing so hard. And I was cracking up at the few homophobes who were in the audience that were gagging. HAHAHAHA, enjoy douchebags!

9/10

[SpongeMike182]

I came in expecting the funniest movie ever. I walked out with a grin and a sense of disappointment. There are some funny scenes in the movie, the whole talk show and the army shit, was hilarious but i think the problem with the movie was that it was really overhyped. It's funny, don't get me wrong, it just felt a little too staged at certain points. Overall 6/10, it wasn't as funny as bruno but hey i had a few good laughs.

[Abbie Normal]

Funny, but not as funny as Borat. Since I judge movies by themselves, I will say that Bruno is funny. That is what you want from a comedy. There were a few shocking parts. There were many predictable parts. Funny throughout, but lacking some charm and likability. I will not look forward to multiple viewings as I think the same jokes get old after the second time.

6/10 Which is a good score, but not not great.

[Abbie Normal]

I came in expecting the funniest movie ever. I walked out with a grin and a sense of disappointment. There are some funny scenes in the movie, the whole talk show and the army shit, was hilarious but i think the problem with the movie was that it was really overhyped. It's funny, don't get me wrong, it just felt a little too staged at certain points. Overall 6/10, it wasn't as funny as bruno but hey i had a few good laughs.

As funny as Borat you mean?

[CreeperBEATNGU]

Oh really? I remember a movie that was number one where it had one of the characters in the credits, have a photo taken of him having his penis sucked by a hooker? So, this movie can't show penis, yet that can? I think that is called a double standard.

I didn't find it funny there either actually. That's just another example of what I was talking about.

[dellamorte dellamore]

You know what i loathed about Bore at , the set ups were groan inducing . Ambushing people and getting reactions can be funny , but most times it's cheap humor . I'm sure even the man himself would have some of the same reactions if presented with the situations some of his subjects find themselves in .

This set up humor is like a self fulfilling prophesy , and if the filmmaker doesn't get the reaction they want , they simply move on to the next victim or edit a certain way to conjure that reaction .

I admit that Cohen is just about a comedic genius , but that doesn't equate to laughter for me , Borat was a chore to sit through, with the occasional joke that hits .

Sorry man , he's not illuminating the denizens of America for me , iv'e seen and heard even worse in real life , so if the shock value is gone , what is left , not much in the form of comedy .

I'm passing on this , it looks dreadful .

[anakinsrise]

Sure we've seen celebrities and politicians ambushed with off color and outrageous questions from time to time but no one does it like Sacha Baron Cohen
I have to applaud Sacha Baron Cohen for not breaking character.His ability to keep a straight face,as Ali G,Borat,and now as the fame seeking Bruno,is amazing.Interviewing,celebrities,clergyman,politic ians,and every day,joes and jills,Cohen pushes the envelope with his questions ,and antics.
Bruno is heavy with sexual humor,so much so i saw many in the theatre were covering their eyes with their hands,but they still cant resist taking a peek.
The rehearsed bits are funny,but like 2006's Borat,the best scenes are when,Cohen sees how far he can go.
One of the best scenes is when he questions stage moms and dads,who are about as hungry for fame for their kids as Bruno is for himself.
Cohen has proven himself as a comedic actor in various films(Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby,Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street)
So i wonder if he will create another outrageous character for the big screen,or just continue on as an actor.The fact that many A list celebs are now rubbing shoulders with him proves Cohen has definitely crossed over.
Whatever path he chooses i'll be right there in line to buy a ticket.
Scale of 1-10 an 8

[CreeperBEATNGU]

I was weary of seeing it based on what I've been hearing, but I gave it a shot because I generally think Cohen is funny (never saw Ali G but I liked him in Talladega Nights, Sweeney Todd, and Borat), and I liked it.

I liked it for the exact opposite reasons that I'm sure many did though. I find it quite amusing that some actually think this film makes a strong statement about prejudice and homophobia; as though it's really out of line to resent the behavior of someone that publically shoves their sexuality in your face to the point of dropping their pants in front of you and rubbing their crotch up against someone that's obviously not interested.




and saying things like "that baby looks retarded, either give it up or abort it," and having a bunch of typical whiney liberals talk about what an important issue global warming is when they clearly don't have a freaking clue what they're talking about...




Most of the responses to Bruno's sexuality and overall demeaner, sans the most extreme examples where he has to go to the most blatantly hateful parts of the country to find, are just natural reactions to obviously crude, inappropriate behavior.
I'd have found this film more offensive if I were gay person, or an extreme liberal, since that's who's made to look foolish here.

Not sure if it's quite as funny as Borat or not, it comes closer than I expected though.

[TeeRay]

Bono has AIDS.

I thought it was funny as hell, although it was almost identical to Borat in terms of plot. I don't think that it will have the staying power of Borat because most people will be turned off by the gay angle. Those who know the character will love it though.

I would love to see the footage that didn't make it into the film. Particuraly with the hunters in the woods and in the Middle East. I'm surprised he wasn't killed.

[DME]

GLAAD is not "glad" (http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iFwuFv2mRS1CR-RzR7KrnFPujosQD99BTQR80) with gay characterizations in this movie. Rather they'd be better described quite MAD, though their stance on DUI's goes unmentioned...

...thank you, thank you...

[SpikeDurden]

4/10

I loved Borat. It was hilarious, oddly endearing, and sociologically fascinating.

This... is annoying, and about an hour too long. And at only 1 hour and 20 minutes long, that's saying something. I wasn't shocked or offended in the least, I just didn't find it funny, charming, or at all interesting. It was a lot of the same mostly unfunny jokes over and over again, with random vignettes that just weren't funny. The same format as Borat, but Bruno just isn't a funny character and Cohen just tried too hard.

[Tweek]

GLAAD is not "glad" (http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iFwuFv2mRS1CR-RzR7KrnFPujosQD99BTQR80) with gay characterizations in this movie. Rather they'd be better described quite MAD, though their stance on DUI's goes unmentioned...

...thank you, thank you...

I laughed. ;-)

[bsquared318]

“Jak sie masz? My name-a Borat. I like you. I like sex. Is nice!”

From the very first line of the controversial 2006 comedy, “Borat,” Sacha Baron Cohen had us laughing. Fast-forward three years, and we’re given a sub-par comedy that makes Borat’s crudities look like “The Breakfast Club.” The fact that the film was edited down not to receive an NC-17 rating makes one shudder at the thought of what the original cut of the film looked like. “Bruno” is one of the most pornographic scenes I’ve seen in a long time, and the black little censor bars leave very little to the imagination.

During my showing of “Bruno,” at least ten people walked out, understandable as this movie isn’t for everyone. In a way, “Borat” had something for everyone, being more universally humorous with a “Candid Camera” type of approach to comedy while still having a comprehensible and engaging plot. The plot for “Bruno” seems almost like a carbon copy of its predecessor.

After his disgraceful presence at a Milan fashion show, the Austrian fashionmonger heads to the United States, dead-set on becoming famous through whatever means possible. Though the majority of the funny parts are shown in the trailers, there are still some comedic surprises in store – be it for better or worse. The ending scene where Bruno sings alongside famous singers like Bruno and Elton John is one of the high points of the film. Cohen shines in a scene involving peace talk over humus, and a series of interviews with parents desperate to get their baby famous is as much of a riot as it is a shock. The entire film offers some shocking insights into our culture, not to mention what one will pay money to go see.

Nothing is off limits for Cohen’s shenanigans. He makes moves on Ron Paul, adopts a baby from Africa, and crashes the set of “Medium.” It seems that every punch line involves homosexuality. This is perfect material for comedy if done right – take “Blades of Glory” for instance. However in this case it is over done that it gets old very quickly. It is also unnecessarily excessive in its sexual content. Most notable are the scenes involving a bouncy talking penis and when Bruno attends a swinger party.

While “Borat” may be the better of the two Cohen outings, it still manages to please those who are diehard fans of Cohen and his style of comedy. However, this enjoyment will most certainly go hand in hand with repulsive images that will stick in one’s mind for a very long time. If you have to pick between the two, pick “Borat,” but if you get a chance just watch “Hangover.” Hands down the funniest movie you’ll see all summer.

4/10

[unspoken]

***Spoilers included***


This movie just didn't work for me overall. Borat was good because the jokes kept on coming and for the most part, weren't recycled. Not the case with Bruno, as the same joke is pretty much used over and over again. And if Cohen's intent was to out/make a mockery of homophobia in Bruno like he did with general bigotry in Borat, then he failed miserably. Out of all of the "uncomfortably gay" (for lack of a better term) situations he put people in, the only one that I would consider to be an overreaction was in the climax at the MMA event. Ron Paul certainly didn't overreact in my books, and the ones that would normally be stereotyped into being gay haters (the "redneck" hunters) were nothing but nice to him except for when Bruno tried to get into the one guy's tent naked, and even then, he just told him to go back to his own tent.

On a side note somewhat unrelated, the ending may have ruined the movie for me a bit too, since I am a die-hard MMA fan and spend a fair amount of time daily reading up on the news of the sport, and hence, knew about this gag many months ago. Also I was really pissed at the use of barb wire on the top of the cage, which does not happen in real life and gives another false impression to the sport I love to a public which is generally misinformed about it.

The only part of this movie that really worked for me was when he seemed to be going after the obsession with celebrity culture, particularly two scenes; the one where he's talking to the two moron Charity PR Consultants who couldn't even pronounce Darfur correctly, and the scene where he's doing the photoshoot for the baby and shows just how ridiculous some people are in the lengths they'll go to make their kids famous and make money off of them. If he would have followed down this path more, this film would have been quite a successful critique of this obsession. But in truth, even Borat did a better job of making homophobia look ridiculous than Bruno did. Normally when I see GLAAD has some kind of complaint, usually I think it's something they are blowing out of proportion to get some press. But I can understand their issue here. Bruno does nothing to make gay people look "good" or "normal" to the general public. The character's pushiness of his sexuality and numerous advances on non-gays as well as the numerous scenes of sexual "deviancy" (again lacking a better term) do nothing but reinforce why homophobia exists in the first place.

4/10.

[Mr.HyDe807]

I'm checking this out tonight with my friend. I don't really have much expectations considering Borat was just alright for me. We'll see how it goes.

[Bourne101]

Bruno - 7/10

Well, I went in looking for a hilarious, controversial and crazy film and that's exactly what I got. I enjoyed Borat and thought it was pretty damn funny, but it didn't really hold up on a re-watch. I don't know if this will hold up on a re-watch, but I found it to be more consistently funny than Borat which dragged a bit in the second half. Bruno is just non-stop, hilarious, over-the-top, crazy, insane and fucked up. When Borat and his producer parted ways, Borat just dragged and became boring. When Bruno and his assistant break up, Bruno just keeps on chugging and getting himself into more insane and hilarious situations. This movie crosses more lines than any movie I have ever seen. How this didn't get an NC-17 even with the cuts they made is beyond me. Highlights for me were the swinger party, talk show, focus group, meetings in "Middle Earth", and the interviews with the parents where Bruno asks them if they think their child could handle certain situations. The joke about the kid in the Nazi uniform, wheelbarrow etc. got the largest reaction from an audience that I have ever seen, ranging from cringing sounds to gut-busting laughter. Overall, Bruno is a film with a lot of balls (figuratively and literally) that is filled with countless hilarious moments, countless shocking moments and countless moments where Sacha Baron Cohen crosses some huge lines. For those three reasons, Bruno is ultimately a huge success.

[Mr.HyDe807]

I'm telling you this straight away and without hesitation, Bruno has a scene that has made me laugh the hardest I have this year. Seriously, I was bawling out loud with tears coming down my face, and almost making myself pass out. Yet, that is the problem with Bruno that just makes the movie sort of an "alright" comedy for me. The movie peaks a bit too early, and everything else was slightly to pretty funny for me. You may find it humorous throughout, but after a certain point for me, it just didn't live up to that hilarious moment.

This is coming from a guy who thought Borat, a movie that many people thought was down right hilarious, was pretty overrated. This was defintiely a step up from Borat, as it defintiely had scenes that got me laughing. It follows the same plot as Borat, with Sascha Baron Cohen as a German homosexual fashion commentator, with an assistant in tow, looking to make a place in the United States. It follows it through the same up and downs as Borat, so people could call it similar. It didn't bother me though, as I was jsut hoping for some raunchy shock humor that Cohen is known for. Thankfully, he defintiely deliver at a point, with is what is defintiely the funniest thing I have seen in theaters this year, but that point just fizzles out the rest of the movie, which is pretty disappointing.

7/10

[Bourne101]

I'm telling you this straight away and without hesitation, Bruno has a scene that has made me laugh the hardest I have this year. Seriously, I was bawling out loud with tears coming down my face, and almost making myself pass out.

May I ask which scene you are referring to?

[Mr.HyDe807]

May I ask which scene you are referring to?

The "focus group" test scene. Just hilarious!

[Bourne101]

The "focus group" test scene. Just hilarious!

Indeed. Truly funny stuff. :D

The Harrison Ford part of that scene was just brilliant and had PERFECT timing.

[Kevin Smith fan]

***SPOILERS***

Definitley funny, it just felt like a little more could have been done with the concept. Borat had many more "skits" (I think that's what you'd call them) and better utalized the meaning of the film. In Bruno, it was painfully obvious that he was avoiding lawsuits while everyone else did their best avoiding him; which ultimately lead to a less confrontational film. But still side splittingly funny. Definitley not one for re-watches.

79/100

[DrJellyfingers]

i laughed my ass off the entire time. i thought Borat has the funniest skits back on HBO but Bruno may have the funnier movie. i definitely laughed harder than at the Borat movie.

highlights were basically the entire movie. paula abdul sitting on the mexicans was fricking awesome.
the song at the end was the greatest thing ever.

[Abbie Normal]

Barbara Walters is no fan.

http://television.aol.com/tvtop5/babs-vs-bruno-the-view/29528668001?icid=main|htmlws-main|dl1|link3|http%3A%2F%2Ftelevision.aol.com%2Ft vtop5%2Fbabs-vs-bruno-the-view%2F29528668001


She is too old and needs to retire from speaking about current topics.

[poguesfan]

Barbara Walters is no fan.

http://television.aol.com/tvtop5/babs-vs-bruno-the-view/29528668001?icid=main|htmlws-main|dl1|link3|http%3A%2F%2Ftelevision.aol.com%2Ft vtop5%2Fbabs-vs-bruno-the-view%2F29528668001
She is too old and needs to retire from speaking about current topics.

Barbara Walters comment on how Bruno makes fun of the "Little People," was enough for me to want to punch my laptop. I fucking hate this old, tired, self-important cunt. FUCK HER!!! and fuck that awful self-indulgent program the View.

On a more important note, I thought Bruno was hysterical, not quite as funny as Borat, but funny none the less. Recommended.

7.5/10

[ilovemovies]

It was funny but it was incredibly filmsy and felt very pointless. Also, despite not even being 90 minutes, it still felt too long. There were times when I just wanted it to end already despite there being plenty of laughs.

Still just good enough for me to give it a 7/10.

[otter]

Nothing really earth shattering to add over what's already been written. I laughed at three parts in almost 2 hour movie:

1. The "kiss" goodbye at the psychic
2. When he went speeding off on the scooter with OJ
3. The Jerry Springer parody with OJ

Not my brand of humor I guess and everything felt too staged. (ie. the OJ Scooter scene).

Meh

4/10

[Mystique963]

Oh good Lord, I hated it!

I found Borat mildly entertaining, but I really did not enjoy this movie. The first half had no redeeming qualities whatsoever, and the second half really wasn't too much better. There were some mildly entertaining parts, but nothing that made my $9.00 ticket worthwhile.

At what point does flaming, over-the-top homosexuality become not funny anymore? For me? The first 10 minutes. Yes, there were some scenes that I laughed but nothing to the point of pissing my pants as some of you have described. :)

Oh well. I've disagreed with the masses before. 3/10

[DaMovieMan]

This was....disturbing haha. Mentalist Cohen does it again, I can't believe he got away with so much shit. I didn't laugh as much as I did when I saw Borat, but the shock-value was definitely way bigger with Bruno. Most of the time I just couldn't believe what I was watching though there were many great moments.

My favorite bits:

-The scenes with the gay converters. Hilarious but also disturbing to know these people actually exist.
-Paula Abdul sitting on a person and saying she wants to help people. PRICELESS.
-Bruno giving head to Milly Vanilly's spirit and the psychic's reaction: "Well, have a nice life" ... perfect timing.
-The most awkward silence I've seen on film..maybe ever, when Bruno looks up at the stars with his hunting buddies.

The most disturbing bits were definitely the parents who would do absolutely anything for their babies to be famous. That was disgusting almost. And the people who watch those MMA fights ... talk about possessed by some demons or some shit.

Overall, I doubt it will have as great repeat value as Borat because it relies more on shock than actually comedy but I might see it again just to see if the second time around produces more laughs. Either way, one things for sure: Sacha Baron Cohen is a mad genius.

7/10

[APzombie]

Barbara Walters comment on how Bruno makes fun of the "Little People," was enough for me to want to punch my laptop. I fucking hate this old, tired, self-important cunt. FUCK HER!!! and fuck that awful self-indulgent program the View.

Nothing Cohen does in this film is as insulting to regular people as Walter's appearing self righteous while at the same time calling regular people "little people".

It's not a comedians responsibility to fight for equal rights, if anything Bruno showcases how self righteous celebrities use such causes for publicity. I think breaking down social taboos on the subject the way Cohen does is actually a good thing in the long run.

[dellamorte dellamore]

Shoving your crotch in people's faces isn't exactly the best way to break down social taboos .

[shoe1985]

I didn't think it was as good as Borat, but it was still funny. It seemed to move really slow, which is odd for the short duration, as someone mentioned.

I almost fell out of my seat during the redneck hunting/camping scenes. When Bruno went to Mike's tent, I almost died from laughing so hard.

I would give it a 8/10.