Capsule Film Review: Bruno (2009)

Sascha Baron Cohen, three years after enormous success of his comedy Borat, tried to repeat its success by employing similar formula – mix of parody, grotesque body humour, candid camera I social commentary – with Bruno. Cohen in this film plays Bruno Gerhard, Austrian fashion reporter whose successful career and idyllic gay life becomes destroyed after his disastrous stunt at Milan Fashion Week. After losing his job he, followed by loyal assistant Lutz (played by Gustaf Hamarstan), travels to America to seek fame and fortune and, in the process, faces homophobia, prejudice and other forms of America's bigotry. Those who like and those who don't like Cohen's films tend to agree that Bruno is worse than Borat; the main reason can be found in three years in which American leadership changed under Obama and all jokes at the expense of American bigotry looked like beating the dead horse. Cohen didn't help matters with obvious lack of inspiration and the idea that portraying male penises would somehow compensate the general lack of humour.

RATING: 2/10