Film

What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases

Bruno (2009)

Director: Larry Charles

Time Out rating

Average user rating

41 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out London

Click here to read our exclusive interview with Bruno

You can make jokes about Hitler. You can strut around Jerusalem in hot pants and fake Hassidic curls. You can make a pitch for an American TV show with a slot called ‘Keep It… Or Abort It!’. But, whatever you do, don’t you dare make a gag about Michael Jackson. The removal from Sacha Baron Cohen’s latest parade of in-your-face shamelessness of a scene in which Brüno, a disgraced Austrian fashion reporter in Hollywood, stitches up La Toya Jackson and tries to extract her brother’s number from her mobile, suggests that Baron Cohen’s comedy isn’t entirely tasteless or free of boundaries. Which isn’t something you’d believe while watching a talking penis swinging around the screen or while experiencing the succession of filthy and provocative slapstick, stunts, sketches and stitch-ups that Baron Cohen has jumbled together here into the loosest of loose stories.

The plot is similar to ‘Borat’: an eccentric foreigner comes to America, does outrageous things, makes people (some famous) look dumb. Brüno is the third clown in Baron Cohen’s repertoire after Ali G and Borat, and once again he masks an acid tongue and sharp mind with a distracting voice and a neverending catwalk of ridiculous outfits. But this feels a bit more desperate in the execution, as if Baron Cohen and director Larry Charles are victims of their own success and have had to try much harder to give their film a documentary sheen. There are certainly more question marks hanging over the ‘real’ episodes than there were in ‘Borat’ – and fewer of those episodes too – and you doubt Baron Cohen could ever stretch to make another film along similar lines.

But what’s lacking in the presentation, Baron Cohen makes up for with sheer ballsy, outrageous bravado. He bulldozes you with shock tactics. Brüno is a mesmerising invention, by turns repulsive and compelling. His exploits, from becoming an extra on US TV show ‘Medium’ to taking a bunch of rednecks hunting, zero in on fair if easy targets, whether that’s homophobic hetero America or the celebrity world, for which Brüno is a global ambassador. (At one point, he visits a Hollywood PR to find a charity to support. ‘We’ve had Darfur,’ he says, ‘so what’s Dar-five?’)

The humour veers wildly between the childish (mistaking Hamas for ‘hummus’) and the savage (an encounter with a ‘healer’ of gays) and isn’t always focused enough – what’s the point, in this context, of ribbing representatives of the Palestinian and Israeli causes? And although there’s little for the open-minded to find troubling, some might bristle at bitchy Brüno as a stereotype of a gay man obsessed with sex, clothes and fame.

But most viewers won’t have the time or energy to dwell on such worries: they’ll be watching with one eye closed from embarrassment and the other welling up with tears of laughter.

Click here to read our exclusive interview with Bruno

Author: Dave Calhoun

Time Out London Issue 2029, July 9 - 15, 2009

Email Tweet Share

User reviews of this film

scumby said...

Posted on Jan 31 2010 01:30 Bruno is funny. What we learn now with the bad reviws is most movie reviewers are liberals. A flambouyant 'kujou; type gay man is not funny bevause it hits to close to home. ET puts that kujou guy on as a srious reporter. ron 'ru' paul's reaction is priceless.

Report as inappropriate
Thomas Noctor said...

Posted on Dec 20 2009 04:05 In my top 5 worst films of 2009 this is a close second to Drag Me To Hell! And that doesnt say much! That scene in the cage at the end had me scratching my head asking myself, is this supposed to be funny? If he is so funny, why does he always need an assistant? And how did they get tied together if there was no one else in the bedroom? And who set up the camping with the hunters? Would they have gone with an annoying prat? Poor Sascha, she tries too hard tut tut tut

Report as inappropriate
Sam said...

Posted on Aug 23 2009 10:55 anyone who doesn't like this movie doesn't see the genius of exposing American's ignorance, bigotry, racism, and homophobia and straight idiocy - that's what it's all about - look deeper people!!

Report as inappropriate
Emma Randall said...

Posted on Aug 12 2009 19:19 possibly the best film i have ever seen. Cohen deserves a knighthood for his sheer bravery, and I was crying with laughter all the way through. how anyone can say this was boring must be blind and deaf. People that have given bad reviews are clearly much too prudish as it was clear through the adverts that the film was not for the fainthearted. FOOLS! just about to go and see it for the second time because it was so god-damn fantastic.

Report as inappropriate
Richard said...

Posted on Aug 09 2009 14:55 without a doubt, the worst film i have ever seen. end of.

Report as inappropriate
Norma said...

Posted on Aug 09 2009 10:39 I was embarrassed that my man paid for us to watch this film. It was simply SAD and obviously made for Saddo's.

Report as inappropriate
hayley said...

Posted on Aug 07 2009 14:50 you could say we shouldnt have seen the film if we didnt like it, but we didnt know whether we would or not, thats the whole point of seeing a film?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! duhhhhhh

Report as inappropriate
Tina said...

Posted on Aug 07 2009 09:48 This film is utter waist of money to go and see, its so boring, Not even worth putting on DVD, so people please dont waist your money when it comes out

Report as inappropriate
Bruno said...

Posted on Aug 06 2009 22:04 If your all gonna be faggots about it then you shouldn't have seen the movie in the first place.

Report as inappropriate
hayley said...

Posted on Aug 06 2009 17:00 I thought it was so boring! It was embarrasing to watch too. Lets just say, i definatli wont be buying the DVD.

Report as inappropriate
poija said...

Posted on Aug 06 2009 16:50 it was terrible! so boring! probably the worst film ive ever seen and im not usually critical about films! so bad, so rude and really not exciting. It made me feel totally sick and the language and sexual scenes were coarse and crude. having penis' and boobs and other parts of the human anatomy in practically every scene, is not my ideal film. The way they showed us his sex life, was that necessary? it was disgusting and the thought of it is making me gag right now!!!!! The writer/director/whoever should not be proud of themselves, for producing a horrific dirty movie. BAD!!!!!!!!

Report as inappropriate
jack brapppppppppp said...

Posted on Aug 05 2009 19:51 sozzzzzziiiiiiii babii i forgot 2 rate itttt blad. shame u aint got minus numbers bluddddd xxxxx
jack braaaaaaaaaaapppppppppp

Report as inappropriate
jackkkkkkkk brappppppp said...

Posted on Aug 05 2009 19:50 it was so bad
i walked out
so disgustingly bad, even for a 18 year old boiii
seriously Larry Charles, i dont know what goes on in ur head mayteeeee, but it was crappppp!
jack brappppppppppppp

Report as inappropriate
bruno hater said...

Posted on Aug 04 2009 20:39 absalaute SHITE with a capital S!!!!!!!

Report as inappropriate
shaun said...

Posted on Aug 04 2009 18:32 This film was complete garbage not funny at all. Borat was brilliant bruno was just crap

Report as inappropriate