Brüno

DAN - Brüno is Sacha Baron Cohen’s latest vehicle, a follow-up to his 2006 crowd pleaser of the same genre, Borat. The film is presented in a pseudo documentary manner, following the character of Bruno as he travels the world, seeking to overcome his recent troubles and find worldwide fame. Hilarity ensues... with a vengeance.

This is without a doubt the most raucous, awkward, sometimes frightening comedy I’ve seen since I can remember. I can’t help but be amazed by Cohen after seeing this movie - the man has guts. He repeatedly puts himself in horrible situations for the sake of comedy, and he makes the best of it.

Brüno is the most flamboyantly gay character I’ve ever seen committed to film, yet he somehow manages to be unoffensive toward homosexuals. It’s the reactions of other people (non-actors) in the movie that provide the film’s best moments, and Brüno is the instigator. Like Borat, this film features unsuspecting victims from around the world (but mostly in the United States).

Brüno encounters professional gay converters, macho huntsmen, a stadium full of angry, drunk rioters, and a sadist with a penchant for whipping the hell out of her cohorts. That’s barely the tip of the iceberg. Cohen was literally at risk of losing his life several times in the making of this film, but we can all laugh about it now because (spoiler alert!) he survived.

I wish I could keep going. There’s so much to love about this movie, but I wouldn’t want to ruin it by saying too much too soon. I’ll say one more thing: if you plan on buying a ticket for Brüno in the coming weeks, be prepared to witness personification through mind-bending male frontal nudity.

Admit it. Now you’re curious.

Cohen has cemented his place as one of the world’s top entertainers, and it hasn’t come easy for him. It’s the chances he takes that make Borat and Brüno so captivating and worthwhile. As much as I enjoyed this movie, I can’t necessarily recommend it for everyone. If you haven’t caught on yet, this is a pretty twisted movie. But for the right sense of humor, this is a gold mine. Just be careful - you might laugh your “auschwitz” off.