Bruno

There was a study done recently that found that when kids were asked what they wanted to be when they grew up the majority of them no longer said that they wanted to be rich or successful, but instead now what they want is to be famous. The study found that this desire for fame above all else correlated with the increase in the divorce rate; the assertion seems to be that because kids are growing up with only one parent and receiving less attention they therefore turn into adults that crave attention. It's the kind of thing that fuels our reality TV culture; whole generations of people desperate for their fifteen minutes. It's also the loose premise on which the plot of the new film “Bruno” hinges.

“Bruno” is the latest film from comedy genius Sacha Baron Cohen. It’s about a gay Austrian fashion show host who tries to become famous in America. But none of that matters really because the whole plot is just an excuse to put the character in a variety of hilarious scenarios, much like in Cohen’s last film “Borat.” But before he hit the jackpot with the groundbreaking and insanely funny “Borat,” Cohen had a show which started in England and made him a breakout comedy star, “Da Ali G show.” The show featured Cohen as three different characters, each doing his trademark improvisation in the presence of unsuspecting people not in on the joke. The three characters were Ali G, Borat and Bruno, each one different but one just as funny as the next. So it makes sense that after the success of the “Borat” movie Cohen would do it all over again with his other character Bruno.

In the TV show the bulk of Bruno’s comedy comes from subtly mocking people in the actually absurd fashion industry, but Cohen largely forgoes that in the film in order to unleash the character in a variety of situations. The results are just as hilarious as they were in “Borat,” if slightly less groundbreaking. It’s almost impossible not to compare the two films because they are so similar, which is good because if you liked “Borat” then there’s no reason you shouldn’t like “Bruno” as well. Cohen definitely pushes the envelope even more in this film. It may seem like more-of-the-same but when you are as funny and fearless as Cohen that is not a bad thing at all. And while it lacks the freshness and sheer originality of “Borat,” you know what you’re in for and it is still shocking and uncomfortably hilarious. I could write essays upon essays analyzing Cohen’s work in a variety of ways. I am anxious to see what Cohen does now that he has exhausted his familiar characters, but whatever it is it will be nothing short of greatness.