It has been one of the most anticipated movies of the summer – the story of a flamboyant, gay Austrian ‘fashionista’ and his dream of stardom. And Sacha Baron Cohen does not disappoint with his stunning portrayal of Brüno, a man who gives Borat a run for his money and looks better in shimmery chain mail.
Shamelessly confident and unnerving, Cohen manages to bring political incorrectness to a whole new level with his very unique depiction of camp comedy and a quest for celeb status which involves adopting an African baby, a plan to get kidnapped by terrorists and trying to become heterosexual. Like ‘Borat…’ before it, what makes ‘Brüno’ so amusing is the fact that the general public witness his obscene behaviour, unaware that they are the real stars of the show.
The mayhem pushes the boundaries further than ‘Borat…’ ever did – to the point where Cohen’s own safety appears in danger. In the Middle East he dresses as a Hassidic Jew in hot pants and wants to broker a peace deal between two Israelis and a Palestinian – confusing Hamas with hummus. His cover is finally rumbled when he begins singing a lullaby about the Middle East in an attempt to get the men to hold hands. At many stages, it’s reasonable to ask whether Cohen has gone a step too far with his off the wall performance and vulgar mannerisms. Among the objectionable scenes is one where naked men congregate in a hot tub while one of them holds Brüno’s newly adopted African baby.
But the choice is yours: this isn’t a film for those who are easily offended or shocked; others will be talking about it for days and perhaps weeks afterwards. If you want to spend as little time as possible with your in-laws this summer, I recommend bringing them to a viewing of ‘Brüno’. Continue reading…