I'm convinced the phrase “in your face” was created for Sacha Baron Cohen

As an actor and an instigator, he is determined to toss you far out of your comfort zone. As the titular host of Da Ali G Show, his target was uptight white collar (and, generally, just plain white) persons of pomp and politics, confronting them as a young, urban thug. As Borat, the clueless Kazakhstani reporter, he went after Americans (and Brits on the television show that gave the character birth) and their discomfort with foreigners, post-9/11.

His latest cinematic creation (which was also founded on Ali G) is Bruno, in a film of the same name, where he not only addresses the issue of homosexuality, he parades it like a Macy's float. And, boy, does he ever let it all hang out. Whether it all works I'll get to later, but all I can say is that we are better because of such “in your face” antics of entertainers like him.

The mere fearlessness of devoting himself to his character is astounding, as he places Bruno in situations that are bound to provoke, annoy, and perhaps explode. It's like he's lighting a firecracker and holding it his hands as the fuse dwindles.

It would be easy to highlight the bits in which Bruno finds himself in such awkward scenarios, but many are too brief and oftentimes feel too infrequent that I dare not spoil them for you here. While Bruno is certainly more confrontational than his runaway hit Borat, the gags actually land with a softer punch, comedically. One reason is that they are edited in such a short fashion that it is difficult to really contextualize, and therefore appreciate, just what lengths he goes to for the punchline. The other speed bump is the narrative that is used to string these incendiary incidents together, as the throwaway gag between Bruno and his assistant is one that feels like a mere afterthought and does little to help us empathize with the characters.

Bruno, an Austrian fashionista who comes to America in search of fame, will stop at nothing to be famous. Of course, there are plenty of people to help him (at a price), stop him (with threats of violence), or cash in alongside him (at any cost, including the welfare of their own children).

Article Author: Rob Rector

Rob actually gets paid to see film, and has for the past 15 years. He is very appreciative that he has the coolest job on the planet. He also teaches film in college and started an independent film festival in his hometown.

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