Bruno

Shameless, unscrupulous and brilliant. These are the most appropriate words to describe Sacha Baron Cohen's latest character that blurs the line between scripted comedy and reality.

Bruno is a gay Austrian talk show host whose area of expertise are fashion and a self-deprecating sense of flamboyant narcissism. Coming on the heels of the astronomically successful Borat, it is clearly expected that any character that Cohen presents to the masses will be irreverent, controversial and ultimately, hilarious. His goal throughout the film is to get famous. More particularly, to become more famous than Hitler. I know - who came up with this stuff? The comparisons between Bruno and Borat can't be avoided, but they are each distinctly original, if not both Eastern European and sexually liberal.

The film mimics the model of Borat in that unsuspecting celebrities, politicians, bigots and southerners (too easy of a target?) are introduced to this comic genius who continually pushes the envelope to places never seen on mainstream silver screens before. The focus of course is the homosexuality, and every taboo is exploited with the in-your-face matter-of-fact approach that only Cohen can pull off.

Bruno did lack the freshness that Borat brought to audiences, but it was almost like Jackass with each prank or stunt trying to outdo the last. He puts himself between Mossad and Hammas, takes classes to become heterosexual, goes hunting with some good old boys, and even seduces a 2008 presidential candidate. What makes the sequences so captivating is that Cohen never for a minute breaks character. At the most uncomfortable point in a confrontation or discussion, when any other person would say "time out - it's all a joke" he digs deeper causing an emotional train wreck fascination that you can't look away from no matter how much it makes you squirm.

This film is obviously not for the faint of heart, or the closed-minded, and that is the beauty of it. Controversial and offensive, it will spread through word of mouth for months and will ultimately make the producers millions. We are witnessing the evolution of entertainment where scripted situational comedies are no longer enough to quench the thirst of the spoiled American audience. What we need is something new - double entendre-laden reality blended with unsuspecting victims who make us feel intellectually and socially superior by comparison. Sad but true.

The finest scenes are when Cohen is faced with that singular moment where he is clearly improvising both in response to, and to provoke his comedic mark. Some scenes even seem downright dangerous, such as his little jaunt to the Middle East, and his appearance at an ultimate fighting match in the deep south (not to mention the swinger's party dominatrix).

The only complaint I have is one that can't be avoided. With so much buzz, and advertising, many of the scenes were not shocking enough, as they had already been discussed or shown in the previews. My preferred approach would have been a more bold move to show much less to the public beforehand and let the audiences take care of the advertising and marketing after release. This is of course much more risky, but would have delivered a more authentic audience response.

It sounds almost haughty to say that I appreciated this film for its artistic vision but that is exactly how I felt. Cohen is an unparalleled comic genius who owns his own genre and has carved out a place in cinema history and established his legacy through these two endeavors. I am excited to see what he comes up with next.

In the end, the joke is on our culture and our country as a whole. These people represent those living among us, and although personal beliefs vary widely and individually, there is still a stifling amount of intolerance, and what's more funny than authentic, uncomfortable intolerance? 8/10.