Bruno (Movie Review)

Rating:

Bruno, starring comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, is a very funny film, though its primary source of humor comes from shock value. The more shocking it is, the funnier it seems… but is it? I’d like to think so, but many would argue it’s insensitive, politically incorrect, tasteless, and uncouth. I must admit, though, because of its crass approach to comedy, most of the scenes are cringingly and revoltingly funny.

The plot follows gay Austrian fashion reporter Brüno, who is fired from his show after disrupting a catwalk at Milan Fashion Week. Accompanied by his assistant Lutz, he travels to the United States to become a superstar.

At the premiere screening I attended in Los Angeles, the day Michael Jackson died, the mood was somber. Ten minutes into the film, people were laughing, but 30 minutes later, you could see audience members covering their mouths, eyes wide open, looking at one another in disbelief. “Was that just on the screen?” were just some of the comments overheard.

My advice to anyone curious about this film: if you have an aversion to sexual images, jokes, or homosexuality, don’t watch it. If you’re a religious fanatic easily offended by religious jokes, stay away. But for everyone else, enjoy what is easily one of the funniest and most offensive films in history! Oh, and by the way, wear a condom before you see it—you’ll thank me afterward.