The Kidd Vs. Bruno

The Kidd Vs. Bruno

About halfway through “Bruno,” you might just ask yourself the very simple question – haven’t I seen this before? And the answer is partially yes. If you were one of the many who enjoyed Sacha Baron Cohen’s last movie “Borat,” then this is all familiar territory for you. The mockumentary style is the same. The awkward situations are the same. Even the assistant sidekick who has a disagreement with the title character, leaves him alone in his time of need, and reappears in time for the climax of the movie is the same (not the same guy, but nearly the same situation). It all just seems like something we’ve seen before… because we have, just a couple of years ago. “Borat” was a much better movie overall that did it all right and seemed to hit every joke at every moment. “Bruno,” on the other hand, seems to be a retread of some of the material that doesn’t always get it right, and leaves some moments that are more awkward and bizarre than they are funny. However, that doesn’t mean “Bruno” isn’t still funny in its own right.

This time around, we follow Bruno, a gay fashion aficionado from Austria who hosts his own show in Europe called “Funkyzeit.” He believes he is a trendsetter, whose commentary shapes the opinions of others, on everything from fashion to world issues. However, when a clumsy mishap involving a suit made entirely of velcro destroys a fashion show he is interviewing at, Bruno is done. There is no more red carpet, no more V.I.P., no more access. Bruno is out. With his career over, Bruno has no choice but to reinvent himself, and chooses to travel to America, where he can try to use his talents to transform into the newest A-list celebrity. Of course, he plans to follow the blueprint set out before him by others who have become famous in American culture, by doing everything from adopting a baby from Africa to making a sex tape. That’s about all the setup “Bruno” really needs, as the plot itself is minimal at best. Whereas “Borat” gave us a lovable immigrant traveling to the United States in order to film a documentary who gets sidetracked on a quest for love, we don’t get that much of a story for “Bruno.” Basically, your enjoyment of the movie will depend largely upon whether you funny find some of his actions and the situations he puts himself in. If you do, then you’ll have a good time, laughing your ass off at various points in the movie. If you don’t, then it might just be the longest, most offensive 90 minutes you’ve ever experienced.

It may seem a bit unfair to compare “Bruno” to “Borat,” but considering the strong similarities between the two movies, whose characters stemmed from the mind of Cohen on “Da Ali G Show,” one can’t help placing “Bruno” against the better, more consistently funny movie that preceded it. Unfortunately, a lot of the good stuff in “Bruno” has already been revealed in the trailers as well as the commercials. However, the movie does still have its moments you haven’t been exposed to yet that will have you laughing pretty fuckin’ hard. There’s a scene where Bruno and his newly hired agent have managed to secure a focus group to screen a television pilot Bruno has created to possibly sell to a network. With the executive in attendance, the group is continuously promised an exclusive interview with Harrison Ford that is built up through a series of slow-motion dancing from Bruno, complete with dancing, spinning, swinging penises mixed in. And, if I’ve ever seen a talking cock before in my life, I don’t remember it being anywhere near as funny. You’ve also got the highly acrobatic and unbelievably creative sex life of Bruno and his pygmy boyfriend, as well as a hilarious simulation of oral sex and a rimjob by Bruno on the ghost of Milli from Milli Vanilli in front of a waiting psychic. The uncomfortable silence of a few redneck hunters around the campfire as Bruno tells them how the starry sky makes him think of all the hot guys in the world will have you on edge, wondering just how this group is going to react, if they even choose to acknowledge his comment.

However, the movie misses its mark on a lot which comes across as more strange than humerous at times. Bruno’s interviews with a series of stage parents who are willing to subject their children to all sorts of dangers and hazards just for them to get an entertainment job is more shocking than anything, leaving you shaking your head more in amazement than forcing you to laugh at their ridiculousness. Also, his encounters with a charity PR firm that knows nothing about any of the causes they represent and the gay converters who try to save him from his gayness don’t generate much laughter, nor do his attempts to solve the problems in the Middle East or his try at seducing former Presidential candidate Ron Paul for a sex tape. They come across as unnecessary and staged.

“Bruno” can be hit or miss at times, but it is more the fault of the subject matter than anything else. While “Borat” preyed on the cultural differences that character might have with us in America, there was an innocence to the character, because he genuinely didn’t know better. With Bruno though, the character does know better, and, as a result, some of his situations aren’t as funny, because there isn’t that ignorance for him to plead and get away doing what he does.

While the movie can be hilarious at times, there are often stretches where it isn’t as much, and, as a result, the movie seems reduced to a bunch of segments at times due to its lack of a flowing storyline. However, the laughs that are there for you are pretty substantial enough to leave you with a good time. However, just know that there is a movie out there already that did a lot of the same things and did them better. In talking to a friend before seeing “Bruno,” he told me that he had heard the movie was a bit “dicky,” and I told him that a “Bruno” that wasn’t would be a disappointment. Needless to say, the movie wasn’t a disappointment. However, what it was wound up being was a lesser effort with a lesser character. It was still funny and very good… just not as funny and not as good as “Borat.”