Brüno (2009)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Larry Charles

Writers (WGA):

Sacha Baron Cohen (screenplay) &
Anthony Hines (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

10 July 2009 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Borat was so 2006

Plot:

Flamboyant Austrian fashionista Brüno takes his show to America.

Plot Keywords:

Fashion | Austrian | Gay | Fame | Los Angeles

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Sacha Baron Cohen	...	Brüno
Gustaf Hammarsten	...	Lutz
Clifford Bañagale	...	Diesel
Chibundu Orukwowu	...	O.J.
Chigozie Orukwowu	...	O.J.
Josh Meyers	...	Kookus
Toby Hoguin	...	Mexican Gardener #1
Robert Huerta	...	Mexican Gardener #2
Gilbert Rosales	...	Mexican Gardener #3
Thomas Rosales Jr.	...	Mexican Gardener #4
Marco Xavier	...	Mexican Gardener #5
Bono	...	Himself - 'Dove of Peace'
Chris Martin	...	Himself - 'Dove of Peace'
Elton John	...	Himself - 'Dove of Peace'
Slash	...	Himself - 'Dove of Peace'

Also Known As:

Brüno: Snipped (UK) (recut version)
Untitled Brüno Project (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for pervasive strong and crude sexual content, graphic nudity and language.

Runtime:

81 min | Philippines:75 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | German

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #45372) | Ireland:16 | Iceland:14 | USA:NC-17 (original rating) | Australia:R (original rating) | UK:18 | Portugal:M/16 | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:15 | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Canada:18A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | Finland:K-15 | Sweden:11 | Netherlands:12 | Germany:16 | UK:15 (cut) | Belgium:KT | Ukraine:(Banned) | Canada:18A (Nova Scotia) | France:-12 | Singapore:R21 (cut) | Brazil:18 (cut) | Mexico:B15 | Hong Kong:III | Philippines:R-18 (MTRCB) (heavily cut) | Australia:MA (re-rating) | Australia:R (DVD)

Filming Locations:

Anniston, Alabama, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

In October 2006, entertainment blog website Defamer.com jokingly reported the title would be "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". Numerous websites around the world - including IMDb - reported this to be the actual working title.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: When Brüno takes OJ out of the box at the airport, the subtitles says "That is 13 pounds of black gold." He says "Das ist vierzehn Pfund schwarzes Gold." "Vierzehn" means 14, not 13 ("dreizehn").

Quotes:

Brüno: Look at the four of us; we are so like the Sex in the City girls!
Donny: Oh no, we aren't either!
Brüno: Which one are you, Donny?
Donny: I ain't any one of them, I'm Donny.
Brüno: That is such a Samantha thing to say!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Office: Niagara (#6.4)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

Nessaja

Better than Borat

I got free tickets to an exclusive screening of Bruno last night, I went in expecting to find it funny, but the memories of Borat, and the catchphrases that haunted me months after the movie came out still lingered. Yes I loved Borat on first viewing, yes it was shocking, it was original, but it was brilliant. Sadly it became way, way too popular, and sadly the joke wore very thin by the millionth time I had heard many of the lines from the film. When Bruno was first announced I had no interest in the film. The character was good, but in my opinion also very one note and lacking the comedic potential that Borat had. Yet I can safely say after watching it, that it is by far one of the funniest movies in ages, narrowly just above The Hangover I would say. Bruno is a hugely risky comedy, and will offend many people. Yet it doesn't seem as offencive as Borat, and as a result possibly funnier. This isn't to say Bruno is tame, far from it. A scene with a talking penis more than sees to that (also the funniest scene I have seen in many a year). But credit has to go to Sacha Baron Cohen, is really is the modern day Peter Sellers. Like Sellers he has perfect comedic timing, has a vast array of characters to play with, and truly seems to inhabit his roles. At no point in this movie did I question that Bruno didn't exist, thats how brilliantly he plays the role. Sure Bruno may grate to some viewers, but he is actually a decent character. The short run time, while questionably too short (possibly the missing Latoya Jackson interview might have made up for this), makes sure the film never outstays its welcome.

Cohen truly is perfect in the movie, and also a very incredibly brave man. While I question whether some scene weren't actually staged, the man does seem to put himself in very risky situations. An interview with a terrorist being frighteningly realistic, and the crowds reaction at the end basically coming across that he could be murdered at any second. But the key to this type of humour is the public's reactions, and some members react absolutely brilliantly. The most horrifying and shocking for me being an interview with parents who want their children in show business. What they are willing to do is absolutely horrifying. I question Paula Abdul's interview not being staged, but it is funny all the same. Bruno's assistant, Lutz, played by Gustaf Hammarsten, is amusing though not as great as Borat's manager. The pair do have some great scene, especially when they're locked together in a rather sexual way, that is pretty damned funny.

Bruno will either drive you into hysterics, as it did me and everyone in the audience. Or will horrify and shock you, yet as I just said it didn't appear to do so in my audience, in fact unlike Borat (where at least 10 people walked), nobody left Bruno at all. The comedy is brilliant, and while it is shocking you cannot help but laugh. It balances wincing with embarrassment with shock humour to perfection. It's an incredibly funny movie with so many memorable lines (that possibly I may hate in a month because of the movies inevitable popularity), and scenes that are just hilarious. My only gripe with it is the length I guess, which is both a blessing and a curse for the movie. It just seems lacking a bit more, ten/fifteen more minutes would have been perfect in my mines just to make the movie flow that bit better. But when a movie is this funny, how can you really criticise it for not falling into many comedies traps? Just running on far too long, yes 40 Year Old Virgin as much as I love you I am looking at you.

Overall Bruno is a must see of this summer, which so far seems to be lacking in many quality movies. Anyway if you want a short, sharp, shock, but a funny shock, of a movie then Bruno is definitely for you. Just don't go with your parents!