Bruno

Sacha Baron Cohen's follow up to the wonderful comedy Borat was far more disappointing than I anticipated. Originally upon viewing the movie, I enjoyed it. The humor was not as sophisticated as Borat but it was still a charming film. In Bruno, Cohen plays a flamboyant Austrian fashion designer who comes to America searching for fame. Many of the scenes in the film are real and not staged, however I believe that several of the "real" scenes were probably staged. I'm not sure how Cohen would still be alive/not imprisoned for some of the things in the film.

Like in Borat, there are many scenes that are outrageously graphic and obscene, and yet, they are hilarious. However, these scenes are few and far between. Most of the movie feels like it is stretched too thin and it is very shallow. The humor is predictable and the script was probably written well, however, with Cohen's thick fake Austrian accent it is hard to understand everything he says. And like the accent, it's sometimes hard to understand the jokes: they are either too shallow to even make sense or they are too complex that they will fly over the average viewer's head. However, the film is still funny upon it's first viewing. There are several scenes that are strikingly hilarious.

But no matter what people say about the plot, humor, or writing, Sacha Baron Cohen should still be seen as a king of comedy. He is an insanely brave man who will do anything for a laugh and to entertain his audience.Bruno wasn't as good as Borat, but it's still worth the watch. It only lasts an hour and 17 minutes which is good because it would have been impossible to make it last any longer without losing the audience. If it had been any longer I would not recommend this movie, but it was the perfect length so for anybody who likes obscene and outrageous humor, take a look at Bruno.

-H