BrunoWhat a vexing film. At times outrageously hilarious, other times incessantly grotesque, it is maybe the most hit or miss movie this year. The trailer for Bruno blinded me so much with its hilarity that I forgot about the fact that I didn't like Borat as much as everyone else in the world did. In fact, I much prefer the shortened and varied sketches of Da Ali G show because it seems to restrain Sacha Baron Cohen's insistence on grossing the audience out. This was one of the most anticipated movies for me this summer based solely on that trailer. And it kind of disappointed me. When it made social statements about parental exploitation, gay bashing and the ridiculous talk show phenomenon, Bruno is hilarious and (almost) thought-provoking. However, scenes like the sex party, the tv show panel and the entire final sequence which looked and was pretty much staged by the producers are purely for shock value and do nothing for the progression of the film or social issues.
I found, at times, that the movie was a labor for me. I was waiting for the next scene to happen. I walked out and couldn't believe that it was less than an hour and a half. If Sacha Baron had just stuck to those good scenes, he could have made a good movie. I know for a fact that he had hours of footage to deal with but instead chose to show random people having sex on camera. I really have no complaints about the gay sex scene or the twirling penis on screen. This I think is somewhat necessary shock value. Yes, he's gay. He's not going to be as funny and oblivious as Borat. Bruno knows pretty much what he's doing and loves it. If only the rest of us could.
Grade: B-
2009 Marlon Welles Awards Nominee:
Best Line: "That is such a Samantha thing to say"
Best Comedic Performance: Sacha Baron is still remarkable though
Most Surprising Moment: Penis. On camera.
Best Trailer
Best Use of a Song in the Trailer: "The Barber of Seville"
Best "Best Moment of the Film": The shameless parenting exhibited by the audition parents
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