By James White, MSN Movies |  |
Bruno: Excited?
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The trailer looks hilarious
The teaser trailers for Bruno have been extremely funny, pointing up some great moments, such as his attending a Milan fashion show in a Velcro suit (with predictably drape-tearing results), trying to wear Dolce & Gabanna fatigues to his army induction session and his encounter with a dominatrix.
Cohen is returning, of course, and he’s roped in Borat director Larry Charles, which should help keep the comedy level up, while Boat scribes Dan Mazar, Anthony Hines, Jeff chaffer and Peter Baynham are also writing on this film. They’re all old Cohen collaborators, so our hopes are in place that this will prove a decent follow-up.
It would seem that the effectiveness of Cohen’s comedy is usually tied to offending the people he interviews and if Bruno’s “success” – he’s already been sued by at least three people – is any indication, then it should be something to experience. Of course, if you’re easily offended yourself, you might want to stay away. But chances are you’d be missing out on what could be one of this year’s funniest, most memorable films. And after a load of stodgy, cookie-cutter rom coms, that’s just what the summer movie doctor ordered.
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Borat worked because, unlike Ali G Indahouse, it maintained the freewheeling, ambush-style spirit of the TV show version of the character. While Bruno looks to do the same, that could be part of the problem – it’s going to be awfully similar, albeit with a very slight twist. So we have another “outrageous” character provoking extreme reactions. While we’re certain Cohen couldn’t have made Borat 2 (too many people know who he is following the film’s release), Bruno just feels familiar. And not always in a good way.
While the lawsuits have been launched by some of the interviewees, there’s been real trouble with gay rights groups, who find the character –for all his satirical value – actually offensive. Word has it part of the film has been re-shot to cause fewer problems, but will that have neutered some of the laughs? Could be…
Talking of backlash, there have been several trailers, numerous stunts (including a literal swan dive that planted Cohen’s buttocks across Eminem’s face at the MTV Movie Awards) and lots of promotion already for the film. Which leads us to ask – is it overkill? Will we all boycott the film because we’ve seen the good bits and the rest is rehashed Borat-style material? Doubtful, but possible…
Excite-O-Meter rating: 4/5
Excellent
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