Brüno

[Coendou]

OK, saw Brüno today.

I felt obligated as an enormous Sacha Baron Cohen fan. I watched his stuff from the begining on HBO, and then got the English shows on tape from my girlfriend.

I wasn't expecting much as I didn't feel Borat was great, good but not great. It had many of the same gags from the TV show, and felt a bit like Python's And Now For Something Completely Different, the same bits just put into a film.

I'd like to say that it was the low expectations that made this one worlds better than Borat, but the watering eyes and fear of drinking because it might come out my nose, make it difficult for me to think it was just low expectations.

The film is over the top. I can't believe it got only an R rating.

With Borat, OK the culture clash between an ex Soviet Union citizen in the US is funny, but a flamboyant gay, fashionista, whose sole goal in life is celebrity status dropped into Alabama was something else. I was at times even afraid he would get beaten.

Spoiler

He also goes to Israel to solve the middle east conflict, which is completely off the hook

Anyway the main theme is ridicule celebrity and all their excentricies, decadence and shallowness. He didn't make as much of a deal of shining a spotlight on provincial America as he did in Borat, although there is more than a little, and more than Brüno normally does on the show, which is more an onslaught on the fashion industry.

Anyway, I haven't laughed outloud in a theater this decade I think, and eyes watering, it must have been at least 15 years.

Warning it's waaaaayyyyyy over the top, and extremely sexual in a quite a few scenes. If you're used to, or enjoy Little Britain type humor, than it may be taken in context, and you may also find it histerical. If you're a bit sensitive or purtanical, this may be a bit shocking, but that's the intention.

I really didn't think he could sucessfully push the envelope further than he's done in the TV series, but he did and then some.

He's now done all his characters, wonder what he'll do next?

[NickSTH]

I agree completely with your review. i wasn't very familiar with the character Borat before the film came out- so I thought it was amazing. Bruno is shocking, outrageous and very over-the-top. I can see why a lot of critics weren't very pleased with the movie. It did get 88% on [...] so I think audiences have definietely been responding very well to it. My theater was so into it- laughing constantly. I really had a great time watching everyone's reactions too. For those who haven't seen it, you will not believe some of the stunts he pulls.

[Coendou]

I went at a slow time, and there was only about 50 people there, but the audience was laughing even more than me, and still laughing from one gag when the next was already half way through. It was hard to catch a breath.

[DrPepper21]

I saw it yesterday. I went into the theater without very high hopes because I didnt think Cohen could pull off the same movie twice, because it's basically the same premise; strange character put into an environment that is alien to him to see how those that live there interact with him.

But I have to say, it works. It was genuinely laugh out luod funny in some parts. That's not say it doesnt have some flaws, it does lag in the middle where there are very few if any laughs. But a strong opening and ending allow you to forget about it as you leave. But it's there, the middle does lag and it loses some points for that. But you cant really fault much else there are moments of comedy gold there and there aret many movies these days that can make you laugh that hard.

Spoiler

The mock TV show where they look at celebrities babies in the womb and decide whether or not to abort or not along with all the dancing and the talking penis is one of the funniest things I've seen this year (if you're reading this without having seen it yet, you just spoilt it for yourself)

I'm having a hard time deciding whether or not I thought this or Borat was funnier the first time I saw it, but as I havent seen Borat in over a year it's probably not a fair comparison. But, you have to praise Larry Charles, Sasha Baron Cohen and the team of writers. They've done it again.

[Coendou]

Originally Posted by DrPepper21

Spoiler

The mock TV show where they look at celebrities babies in the womb and decide whether or not to abort or not along with all the dancing and the talking penis is one of the funniest things I've seen this year (if you're reading this without having seen it yet, you just spoilt it for yourself)

When I first started watching it, it seemed to be more written stuff, then live acts with unwitting celebs...

Spoiler

The scene with his partner at home was so damn funny, but then the scene with Paula Abdul just put me on the floor

[DrPepper21]

Originally Posted by Coendou

When I first started watching it, it seemed to be more written stuff, then live acts with unwitting celebs...

Yes, I think there is definietely more staged aspects to the movie than there was in his last movie. The whipping scene felt completely staged to me. I think it's probably because he's slightly more well known now than he was then so he cant get away with as much stuff.

I think the camping scenes and his trip to Isreal seemingly look staged but I actually think they're done straight because some of the reactions just couldnt be scripted.

Spoiler

The leader of the terrorist/rebel group actually looked like he was going to kill him if he didnt leave

Originally Posted by Coendou

Spoiler

The scene with his partner at home was so damn funny, but then the scene with Paula Abdul just put me on the floor

Yep those scenes were absolutly hilarious.

Spoiler

Paula Abdul talking about her humanitarian work whilst sitting on someone really says a lot doesnt it .

I also thought the scene where he went to the medium and got "busy" with the ghost of Milli whilst the medium just sat and watched was hilarious

[Coendou]

Originally Posted by DrPepper21

Yes, I think there is definietely more staged aspects to the movie than there was in his last movie. The whipping scene felt completely staged to me. I think it's probably because he's slightly more well known now than he was then so he cant get away with as much stuff.

Agreed, I think she was an actress, and not very good one at that.

Originally Posted by DrPepper21

I think the camping scenes and his trip to Isreal seemingly look staged but I actually think they're done straight because some of the reactions just couldnt be scripted.

Not too sure about that, think they knew they were being filmed so their reactions were not as natural as they would be ordinarily. He goes around telling people they will be on some Austrian TV program.

Spoiler

The leader of the terrorist/rebel group actually looked like he was going to kill him if he didnt leave

Agreed, he really pushed the threshold of how far he go with that one. No idea how he scored an interview with that guy if he really was who they said he was.

Originally Posted by DrPepper21

Yep those scenes were absolutely hilarious.

Spoiler

Paula Abdul talking about her humanitarian work whilst sitting on someone really says a lot doesnt it .

I also thought the scene where he went to the medium and got "busy" with the ghost of Milli whilst the medium just sat and watched was hilarious

Spoiler

Forgot about the medium scene. I think that sort of scene often gets shortened as the victim gives up after a minute or two, but he sat there for at least 5 minutes, and you could just tell Sacha was seeing how far he could take it, and I'm nearly having a heart attack in disbelief that Sacha doesn't crack a smile while doing it.

There's so much in this one, I'll need to see it again.

[Escape]

Originally Posted by Coendou

The film is over the top. I can't believe it got only an R rating.

It was rated R over here as well but that means that under no circumstances can anyone under 18 be allowed to view it. The next step up from that is an Adult rating which may contain explicit sexual scenes or violence. I guess this film got away with that cause it

Spoiler

blocked out the actual intercourse with a black circle over the genitals

Originally Posted by Coendou

Anyway, I haven't laughed outloud in a theater this decade I think, and eyes watering, it must have been at least 15 years.

Yeah I was laughing pretty good too. I had sweat dripping off my face for laughing so hard though the theatre was pretty hot as well with almost a full house.
After it ended, one loser in the back of me says "Well, I'm not getting those 2 hours of my life back". Um ok dude, you pretty much were laughing as hard as the rest of us so either you're tying to be a cool guy or you're a tool.

Originally Posted by DrPepper21

I saw it yesterday. I went into the theater without very high hopes because I didn't think Cohen could pull off the same movie twice, because it's basically the same premise; strange character put into an environment that is alien to him to see how those that live there interact with him.

But I have to say, it works.

I think he pretty much just shocks the viewers. Like what Tom Green tries to do with shitty results.

Originally Posted by DrPepper21

I'm having a hard time deciding whether or not I thought this or Borat was funnier

I thought this by far was the funniest. I never really connected with Borat as well as everybody else.

Originally Posted by Coendou

Spoiler

The scene with his partner at home was so damn funny, but then the scene with Paula Abdul just put me on the floor

Yeah that was hilarious. She obviously was in on it though cause you could tell that she was holding her laugh back the best she could.

Originally Posted by DrPepper21

Spoiler

I also thought the scene where he went to the medium and got "busy" with the ghost of Milli whilst the medium just sat and watched was hilarious

What gets me is how these guys just continue to sit there, not knowing what the hell do to lol. That part I think was my favourtie part of the film.

Spoiler

I think alot of the people like those hicks from Alabama knew there was a camera in their face but didn't exactly know who he was and were probably told a tall tale where this guy with a t.v. show just wants to tag along. You could see that guy at the end was pissed though. What straight guy wouldn't be with a naked homosexual outside your tent wanting to come in lol.

[Coendou]

Originally Posted by Escape

Yeah that was hilarious. She obviously was in on it though cause you could tell that she was holding her laugh back the best she could.

Not too sure about that.

Spoiler

I think one of Cohen's biggest weapons is posing as a foreigner and can feign cultural differences, and that makes the others more polite than they ordinarily would be, like Borat not knowing how to use the toilet and bringing his dung in a bag to the dinner table.

Abdul is incredibly dimm i think, and was trying to be polite, and when it went too far she excused herself and stormed out. I highly doubt she was in on it.

As Dr.P said though, it's unbelievable even under those circumstances to not say anything about it, especially while talking about the issue at hand.

[DrPepper21]

Originally Posted by Escape

What gets me is how these guys just continue to sit there, not knowing what the hell do to lol. That part I think was my favourtie part of the film.

Spoiler

I think alot of the people like those hicks from Alabama knew there was a camera in their face but didn't exactly know who he was and were probably told a tall tale where this guy with a t.v. show just wants to tag along. You could see that guy at the end was pissed though. What straight guy wouldn't be with a naked homosexual outside your tent wanting to come in lol.

I agree, they knew it was a TV show but I'm sure they never expected anything like that to happen.

Spoiler

Another scene that I just remembered laughing to was when he was questioning the formerly gay guy who was "rehabilitated". Some of the things he said just got me, something about; "being blessed with such wonderful c**k sucking lips" and his reaction to that nearly had me on the floor.

(Not sure how far one can go with the language on here?)