Filmonic » Sacha Baron Cohen

Review: Brüno Is, Happily, As Good As You Think It Will Be

Dave — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:52:04 +0000

Sacha Baron Cohen is back with his own brand of character comedy in Brüno, coming out July 10th.

The long and the short of this film is quite simple: If you dug Borat, you’re probably going to see Brüno and enjoy it as well. If Sacha Baron Cohen’s comedy plays on your own prejudices, or if you have a weak constitution for sex and broad gay comedy, best to stay away from this one.

Part of the Sacha Baron Cohen comedy experience is seeing this movie soon after its release date in a theater full of like-minded fans. It’s not that the jokes themselves aren’t worthy of laughs, but fans of television in the 50s, 60s and early 70s know that Charley Douglass would argue that you’ll laugh more if there are others laughing around you. Plus, no one likes the one guy gaffawing all by himself.

Part of the group-mentality sentiment is my personal opinion. Reporting on film blogs during Brüno’s production meant that several of the sequences were revealed to me beforehand. It’s not that the film’s plot is important, but some of the more shocking situations in this situational comedy are best left discovered on screen. Sometimes I’d find myself chuckling along with the folks beside me during a reveal I was expecting to come along. Because of that, the review below will be intentionally vague about the punchlines.

Sacha Baron Cohen’s Brüno character first appeared on the Paramount Comedy Channel in 1998, soon followed by segments on the UK version of Da Ali G show (Brüno appears in the first episode of the American version and makes sporadic appearances mocking fashion and homosexuality through Season 2, episode 6). It’s safe to assume, with Borat and Ali G both retired after their films, that this will be Brüno’s farewell appearance.

The film picks up where the TV series left off, with Brüno still working for his fictional show Funkyzeit mit Brüno (Funkytime with Brüno), though after an all-Velcro suit incident goes exactly as wrong as it appears in the trailer, he is fired and dumped by his pygmy-sized lover (more on that later).

Without the popularity of his show, Brüno is left with only his assistant’s assistant, Lutz (Gustaf Hammarsten) who follows the wayward star to Hollywood where he plans to become famous.

Why Brüno as a film fails to surpass the laughs generated by Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan has a lot to do with the nature of the character and the medium. As far as the construction of Brüno as a film, a lot feels familiar: we start with the character in his safe zone, reporting on fashion in Brüno and with the hilarious fake Kazakhstan village in Borat. Then, with a simple thesis about what America has to offer, said character is off with one managing cohort and finds himself in various vignettes as he attempts to reach a certain goal. In Borat, that goal was fulfilled with the attempted kidnapping of Pamela Anderson, in Brüno, his goal is to be famous.

It’s a similar structure on all accounts, right down to a sequence comparable to Borat’s naked wrestling where Lutz and Brüno find themselves in a compromising situation that eventually becomes a public one.

However, what makes Brüno’s jokes so much more dubious than Borat’s is the tonal shift between character comedy and the film’s subject matter. In Borat, it was the same thing: xenophobia. American’s don’t react well to foreigners, but we’ve at least gotten to the point where we tolerate them and their bizarre behavior. They are the “other,” they are not us.( Borat’s dinner party wasn’t ruined until he literally brought a bag of his own poo down from the bathroom.) In Brüno, the film isn’t about being famous, and it isn’t about homophobia. At least not as completely as one would hope.

Very early on in the film, Brüno and his tiny, man/boy sex toy have a sequence of gay sex sight gags that are hilarious. Though I’ve seen a champagne bottle inserted in a woman’s hindquarters before (thanks to some previous, pornography-related jobs), seeing it poured from a man still has the shock value. The sequence feels slightly out of place, like most of the scenes in both Brüno and Borat that only include two actors an no unsuspecting victims, but the sequence exists for a purpose: to make them so flamboyantly strange that they become “The Other.”

This is the Catch-22 of gay humor. Homophobia is subtle in most real-life situations. Much like it is preached in the South Park episode “Death Camp of Tolerance,” the basic tenant of tolerance is that you can go on not liking homosexuality, you just have to not like it in your head (and for God’s sake don’t legislate based on your beliefs). You don’t embrace it, you tolerate it. It’s when you find especially prejudiced people and shove a flamboyant gay guy in a room with them, or when you force middle-aged women to watch a video of a talking penis that you are guaranteed to get humorous and uncomfortable reactions, breaking through the threshold of polite tolerance. This requires a character so gay that he’s a caricature bordering on stereotype, and that’s Brüno.

(In no way do I think this movie is offensive to homosexuals. If anything, they will see the stereotype much clearer and realize what’s going on faster.)

When Brüno is riffing on being famous, the film plays fresh, even if it’s treading a little to close to Borat’s play on xenophobic Americans. You can tell a casting agent in the early part of the film is giving Brüno a break because he’s foreign and has a camera crew with him. It’s when Brüno discovers that “straight” people like John Travolta, Tom Cruise and Kevin Spacey are famous that he decides to become straight and the film’s thesis changes ever so slightly.

Where as Borat gave his interview subjects enough rope to hang themselves, Brüno does a great deal as a character to break these people. In the end, their prejudice and homophobia peeks through, but often when the situation gets so absurd that anyone would crack and say something stupid. If I were to set up and interview with Borat, the excuse “he just doesn’t know any better” goes pretty far, but when Brüno shows up to train with the National Guard in Dolce & Gabbana, how does one not see that this is going to end badly?

The parts of the movie that really work, like Brüno’s swapped African baby, Latino furniture, a semi-frightening terrorist interview, and the film’s Straight Dave climax are largely not based on Sacha Baron Cohen playing Brüno as a one-dimensional extremely gay stereotype. Cohen makes reaction comedy where celebrities and normal folks do their best to be tolerant is the joke. The film slows down when we are assaulted with Brüno’s unrealistic collection of cliché homosexual traits.

Don’t get me wrong, Brüno is irreverent, sharp, hilarious and uncomfortable like it should be, but if Borat didn’t win you over with its singular of comic vision, this movie’s mixed collection of subject matter won’t make you a fan of Sacha Baron Cohen.

However, the majority of you will love it like I did, surrounded by an audience laughing so frequently that popcorn went uneaten and drinks were sipped quickly between scenes.

Universal Cuts Michael Jackson-Sensitive Scene from Brüno?

Dave — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 20:11:17 +0000

Yesterday, as the news was pouring in about the death of Michael Jackson by cardiac arrest at the age of 50, I was flipping between MSNBC, Fox News and CNN, scanning Twitter and on the phone with people who call me when pop culture figures die.

As I absorbed the news, I completely forgot that Brüno (July 10th state-side) has a La Toya Jackson scene in it, where the Sacha Baron Cohen character asks La Toya for her brother’s number then mocks his voice and glove. Brüno eventually cons her out of her Blackberry – after serving her sushi on a naked Mexican – only to read MJ’s number out loud (in German, and it’s a 555 number). This sends La Toya stomping out of the interview.

Now, various reports, including The Guardian, The Wrap and Risky Biz Blog claim that this decision has already been made. This from Risky Biz:

But after Jackson’s death on Thursday, the studio and filmmakers decided to remove the scene for the premiere screening out of sensitivity to the Jackson family. The film now cuts directly from Baron Cohen’s gonzo interview with Paula Abdul to a focus-group for his faux reality show.
Still, because many critics attended those earlier showings, its content could make its way into reviews. Indeed, removing the scene in a way calls more attention to it, though the studio clearly wanted to avoid even the perception of poor taste at any cost.
“We decided to take it out for tonight, and we’ll reassess before the release whether to keep it out,” said director Larry Charles at the premiere’s afterparty. A spokesperson for Universal also confirmed that it had not come to any decision on future showings.

Several copies of the film already exist, as the film has begun press and test audience screenings in a few US cities, but it’s unclear if more prints have already been rolled out. Cutting a scene out of a movie is all good, snipping fun until it starts costing hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on interns rooting out the particular reel of the film and trimming some negative. Alternatively, though not cheaper by a long shot, Uni could replace only the reel of film with the scene in question on it, also meaning hefty budgets of new printing costs.

All this after reports that Brüno was already edited so it wouldn’t offend the “Hollywood Gay community.”

I can understand the sentiment of not wanting to pick the scab of the sudden death of a pop icon, or wanting to give the man’s family a few weeks without Jacksons being the punchline in this difficult time. However, if the cut really is what Risky Biz Blog claims above – from Abdul to the focus group – then no one will know that when I call Brad Pitt “Bradolf Pittler” that I’m stealing from Sacha Baron Cohen.

Sacha Baron Cohen To Play Sherlock Holmes

Liam — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 14:14:09 +0000

Sacha Baron Cohen, creator of Ali G and Borat, will play Sherlock Holmes according to Variety. Friend and fellow funny man Will Ferrell will play his crime-solving partner Dr Watson. The movie will be a comedy (obviously) and has nothing to do with the Sherlock Holmes movie Guy Ritchie is working on. Producer Matt Tolmach says:

“Sacha and Will are two of the funniest and most talented guys on the planet, and having them take on these two iconic characters is frankly hilarious.”

The pair worked together on Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby which did rather well. However Ferrell’s most recent movie, Semi-Pro, didn’t do that great at the box office which could suggest people are tired of Will Ferrell playing Will Ferrell just with a different setting. Hopefully this Sherlock Holmes movie will require him to act a little, rather just play his loud and obnoxious self.

Bruno: Delicious Journeys Through America for the Purpose of Making Heterosexual Males Visibly Uncomfortable in the Presence of a Gay Foreigner in a Mesh T-Shirt Release Date Set

Liam — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 11:14:08 +0000

A release date for Sacha Baron Cohen’s Bruno [rest of title] has been set, and its a biggie! We will see a flamboyant Austrian Cohen creating uncomfortable situations with the American public on May 15th 2009. That week has been the release of the Shrek trilogy, all three Star Wars prequels, The Matrix Reloaded, and The Da Vinci Code. To me this suggests Universal mean business!

We havent heard too much about the movie, however thats a good thing as we dont want to be spoiled too early. There has been talk of Ben Affleck being interviewed by Cohen in character, along with Arnold Schwarzenegger. There was also the incident in the lobby of Wichita Kansas Airport, where Bruno and his friend were caught stripping down to tight shorts.

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa Poster

Liam — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 16:12:58 +0000

Cinematical have received an exclusive poster for Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa.

The film, which stars the voices of Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Sacha Baron Cohen and Jada Pinkett Smith, follows our animal friends as they hatch a plan to get back to New York; more specifically, Central Park. However, when they attempt to fly themselves out, the crew accidentally crash land in the wildest place of all — the vast plains of Africa itself. While there, they’ll get a better feel for their roots, as well as the difference between life in the concrete jungle and life on the world’s second largest continent. But with danger right around the corner, will this family reunion be cut short a little too soon? And will our heroes ever return home?

Bruno Spotted Filming And We Have Footage To Prove It!

Liam — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 22:38:06 +0000

We have been getting reports here and there of a flamboyant foreign journalist doing bizarre things, and now we have a new one. There is no doubt that is it Sasha Baron Cohen making fools out of the American public, and in some cases, himself. A church in Kansas reported that a ‘European’ crew showed up to their Easter play in chains. But in this case, the church sniffed out the prank and stopped what was likely Cohen’s crew from disrupting the play.

Local newspapers in Kansas have also reported that a “European man” was “putting security on red alert” by “stripping down to tight shorts and dancing in the lobby of Wichita Airport”. Luckily someone had a recording device and filmed part of it before one of the crew tried to stop them. Check it out:

Brüno will be released later this year and I can wait! It is going to be hilarious!

Sacha Baron Cohen Spotted Filming Bruno!

Liam — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 17:48:23 +0000

Defamer got word that Sacha Baron Cohen is currently filming Brüno: Delicious Journeys Through America for the Purpose of Making Heterosexual Males Visibly Uncomfortable in the Presence of a Gay Foreigner in a Mesh T-Shirt. What a title! It makes me glad the copy and paste function was invented. Anyway, here’s what their tipster had to say.

“I saw Sacha Baron Cohen doing filming as Bruno (gay Austrian) at On Your Marks Studio in Sherman Oaks on Feb. 21st. He was dressed in tight leather black pants with a bedazzeled g-string showing. his hair was frosted blond and straight. He was interviewing parents with their children pretending to be an german / austrian ad agent looking for a child to do a car commercial. He asked questions like : are you willing to film your child with ants? bees or wasps? dogs? ect. very funny.”

How do you top a film such as Borat, where the American public are approached by a weird foreign dude? Have a film where the American public are approached by a weird gay foreign dude! If you currently have no idea who Bruno is, then check below to see the 2nd character to be brought onto the big screen by the genius that is Sacha Baron Cohen!

Cohen talks Borat, Ali G but Bruno…not so much

Liam — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 17:43:22 +0000

Being from the UK, I was one of the first to witness Sacha Baron Cohen’s linguistically challenged character, Ali G. Having found a fan base more shows were made, introducing us to the one and only Borat, and gay Austrian Bruno. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan was a huge hit last year, making Borat, and Cohen himself, a household name. Although the film being a success was good for Cohen, it was not so good for Borat, as he told the Telegraph.

Admitting I am never going to play them [Borat and Ali G] again is quite a sad thing,” he says. “It’s like saying goodbye to a loved one. It is hard, and the problem with success, although it’s fantastic, is that every new person who sees the Borat movie is one less person I ‘get’ with Borat again, so it’s kind of self-defeating form, really. It’s upsetting, but the success has been great.

Although there is a chance people do not recognise him, a second Borat outing would have to be better than what we got last year, and that will be tough. Instead, we are getting Bruno, who will no doubt test how the American public act when confronted by the flamboyant Austrian. When asked abut the project, Cohen fell silent. After the success of Borat there was a bidding war that included such Hollywood powerhouses as DreamWorks, Sony, and 20th Century Fox; Universal Pictures paid a reported $42.5 million for the rights to the movie. According to insiders, Baron Cohen himself is getting paid $13 million upfront, and will also receive 15% of the box office take. That means if the film does as well as Borat, Baron Cohen stands to make approximately $30 million.

Sweeney Todd Credits Online

Liam — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 14:03:27 +0000

For the past week, it feels like every other story I post is about the first couple of minutes of some movie appear online.

Well, here we go again…but with a bit of a twist.

The opening CREDITS of Sweeney Todd are now online. I know what you’re thinking: Who the eff cares?

Well, most Tim Burton fans know that his opening credits are always unique and interesting, and trust me, this one is no different. I’ve never heard of a credit sequence getting anyone excited to see a film, but I’ll be damned if I don’t want to see this movie more after watching this. It’s animated, in a way…but then it feels like it’s not. And the way the blood gives life to the chair is a pretty neat touch.

Anyway, less talk from me. Head over to Broadwayworld, and take a look at it for yourself.

- Jeff Heimbuch

Bruno gets a HUGE title!

Liam — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 15:15:17 +0000

The title for this film has been out for a while but I don’t think many people have caught it. The title for Sacha Baron Cohen’s follow up to Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan is…

Brüno: Delicious Journeys Through America for the Purpose of Making Heterosexual Males Visibly Uncomfortable in the Presence of a Gay Foreigner in a Mesh T-Shirt

A word that comes to mind at this moment in time is ‘lol?’.

After Borats sucess Cohen did a few big movies such as Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Madagascar and upcoming Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

Now he is returning to what people love, and is currently filming now, so if you see…

Either run for the hills, or stick around and go with the flow. At least you will have something to show your grand children one day.