Brüno UK Review

Borat was SO 2006! Meet Sacha Baron Cohen's outrageous gay icon who wants to be 'the biggest Austrian celebrity since Hitler'. Brüno screams into UK cinemas on 10th July.
Hallo! Ich bin ein mega Star!
Hallo! Ich bin ein mega Star! - Universal Pictures UK
Lisa Keddie

"OUTrageous gaiety and hilarity and THE best comedy spoof of the decade that can/will not be matched for shock value."

Borat was so 2006, claims the film's catchline... Lieber Gott! That is a gross understatement. Brüno makes Borat look like a Kazakh Sunday school teacher in comparison. Borat was an ignorant tourist who got into some risky scrapes, much like creator Sacha Baron Cohen's other ridiculous, crude alter ego, Ali G. But the gay Austrian supermodel simply does not have 'tabooed topic' in his vocabulary, and makes it his fearless mission to become 'the biggest Austrian celebrity since Hitler', regardless of the fallout. Make no mistake; this is Baron Cohen's wildest, riskiest, crudest, most insane and provocative piece of spoof cinema so far, with absolutely NO conscience or censorship on its gaydar. But rather than being random feats of stupidity, this is a highly clever and calculated shockumentary, delivered by an artist with a death wish, but one who has homed his shock tactics from Borat - and it's totally, wickedly, jaw-droppingly, eye-wateringly hilarious! -----------

As the most diverse, religious and opinionated nation on the Earth, Baron Cohen, once again, ends up in the good ol' 'US of A', after being nearly lynched in Israel for his minimalist Jewish attire. America is the land of the free - or so it claims. It's a far cry from what the starry-eyed European fashionista thinks, as he rocks into Tinseltown. Brüno's cringeworthy attempts at fame see him trying to be an extra on an NBC crime drama; doing unique celebrity interviews - note that the LaToya one has been dropped out of respect for her late brother; full male appendage shots on a pilot Brüno show - as well as various sex toys and appliances; and a tremendously sexually-explicit mime at a psychic's; to adopting an African baby (complete with 'Gayby' T-shirt), 'OJ', and parading him on chat-show host Richard Bey's show to a predominantly Black audience. As usual, we laugh incredulously at the ballsy character's thick-skinned naivety, entering into dangerous situations, as well as the reactions from his 'victims'. Is it offensive? Only you can be the judge... -----------

The big-screen riot actually gets funnier (if that's possible), when Brüno realises that he must give up his homosexuality and become straight, like other Hollywood stars, such as Tom Cruise [sic], to become successful and famous. The funniest scene by far is the Austrian peacock doing the most 'manly' thing possible to kick his male habit, and joining a bunch of heterosexual rednecks camping at night on a shooting trip. The men's awkward bodily reactions to Baron Cohen/Brüno's comment about the stars in the sky reminding him of all the 'hot guys in the world' is absolutely priceless viewing, with the length of the scene edited just right. But it is the ultimate 'love' scene at a 'straight pride' wrestling match that will forever be remembered as some of the gutsiest film-making ever - just how Baron Cohen and 'boyfriend Lutz' (played by Swedish comic Gutsaf Hammarsten) got out of the ring alive is anyone's guess? --------

Critics often bring out the 'not-for-the-faint-hearted-or-easily-offended' warning to titillate and drum up interest in a new release, but this DOES apply here, one-hundred fold. Brüno is OUTrageous gaiety and hilarity and THE best comedy spoof of the decade that can/will not be matched for shock value. Be prepared to cringe (for the whole 83 minutes), howl and choke with disbelief at the spectacle before your very eyes - if you dare to peek. Also look out for the Band Aid 'Feed The World' recording-studio tribute with some big industry names, including (oh, the irony) alleged homophobe Snoop Dogg at the end... 'Hallo', essential viewing, liebe Leute. --------

Synopsis --------

In 2006, two-time BAFTA-winning performer Sacha Baron Cohen brought Kazakh journalist Borat Sagdiyev to the big screen in Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. Exposing shocking hypocrisies of Western culture, Baron Cohen, director Larry Charles and their crew used guerrilla-style filmmaking to create a worldwide comedy event that took audiences and critics by storm. The film led to Baron Cohen's win of a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture-Musical or Comedy and shared Oscar nomination for Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay. By allowing audiences to laugh and cringe at ridiculous prejudices, the team engineered a breakout hit that earned more than $260 million at the global box-office and set a new standard of risky provocation. ------

They were just getting started. --------

Now, the creator, star, writer and producer of Borat and Da Ali G Show has created the gutsiest, craziest and most dangerous comedy to be released in mainstream theaters. In Brüno, Baron Cohen introduces moviegoers to the next character from his award-winning series: a gay fashionista who is the host of the top-rated late night fashion show in any German-speaking country... apart from Germany. -------

Brüno's mission? To become the biggest Austrian celebrity since Hitler. His strategy? To crisscross the globe in the hopes of finding fame and love. --------

Film Facts ---------

Official site: http://www.brunothemovie.co.uk/

UK Release Date: 10th July 2009

Director: Dan Mazer

Writers/producers: Sacha Baron Cohen, Jay Roach

Cast: Sacha Baron Cohen ('Brüno'), Gustaf Hammarsten ('Lutz'), Clifford Bañagale ('Diesel')

Distributor: Universal Pictures International UK

Certificate: 18

Run-time: 83 mins


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