BRUNO — ReThink Review

After a delayed release, BRUNO, the new film and character from BORAT creator Sasha Baron Cohen, is finally here. And it seems that there are really two questions people want answered: Is it as funny and insightful as BORAT? And is the character of Bruno, an ultra-flamboyant gay Austrian fashion reporter, insulting or damaging to gay people? To which the answers are: No and maybe. Let's explore.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• bruno
• borat
• jonathan kim
• rethink review
• movie review
• film
• movie critic
• homophobic
• prop 8
• gay
• homosexual
• queer
• faggot
• fashion

[robotpanda77]

Yeah when I watched Transformers the big question for me was "Is this offensive to robots?" You all like to pretend you are so politically correct and sensitive don't you.

[jsjkim]

Good. Because gay people are exactly like fictional robots.

[robotpanda77]

I think you focused too much on the idea of whether or not the film was offensive in the review, given it more attention then anything else. To imply that such a ridiculous character as Bruno could be as similiar to gays as to be offensive is no more outrageous then worrying about optimus prime being offensive to trucks. I heard one reviewer go as far as to call it "gay-face" instead of black face. Come on. Do straight men worry about Brad Pitt being offensive to straight guys in his movies?

[jsjkim]

i wouldn't mind an occasional asian racist stereotype in movies if there were more roles for asians. But when i rarely see asians in films, then the few i do see reinforce stereotypes, that's a problem. If there were very few roles for straight white men and the only roles were to play members of the KKK, then i think brad pitt would wonder if he should take that role. And if the few roles for asians went to white people pretending to be asian (the way it used to be), that would suck

[pandapalace11]

@jsjkim -That last line reminded me of the Last Air-bender

[cleanhomer]

I agree with ch1aka2. People take this movie way too seriously! As to the idea that this movie can cause homophobia. I think Bruno really actually makes fun of gay stereotypes, which I think was one of the main points of the movie! (The other point being to bash celebrity-obsessed fame-seekers, like Bruno)

[dEdGrimley]

Old clip :/

I found it more offensive to Germans and Austrians than gays. But not really so much there, either.

[ch1aka2]

I have seen this movie more that a dozen times. I have laughed out loud over and over. In other words, I was truly entertained. It remined me of the John Waters' movies of the '70's. Those seemed pretty offensive to a lot of people, but it you get the humor, it's an amazingly fun experience to watch them. People took the movie Bruno way too seriously and some just didn't get it. Too bad for them.

[johnnyb34434]

The movie totally sucks. It's not worth watching admitted to the very bottom of the recycling bin this movie was more of an insult comedy and I would never recommend anyone not even people I don't like to watch it I was so glad to see you die in the movie theaters and made it straight to the bottom of the basement that even video stores were selling it for less than three dollars just to get rid of it that you should share this clown should never act again that even gays didn't even like this??

[enigmatically]

So really the only thing that somewhat bugs me about the film specifically is conning people into interviews and then proceeding to purposefully make them uncomfortable, if it was all scripted then I'd not see it as being much different than Zoolander or Don't Mess With Zohan or something like that.

I do get the point of a discriminated-against minority group being poked fun at in a comedy...as a gay rights activist I did find myself uncomfortable in a few scenes. But I give the film a pass.

[enigmatically]

So I can see how a group like GLADD whose cause I mostly support may find this film offensive.

But at the same time if people can't tell that the point of the film is someone being obviously over-the-top and characterizes that as a representation of all gay people then they have issues.

Austin Powers doesn't represent all hetero men, Napoleon Dynamite doesn't represent all small town nerd types, Lil Miss Sunshine doesn't represent all lower-class white people, etc.

[enigmatically]

On one hand I see it as pretty harmless fun and just some over-the-top flamboyantness akin to a gay equivalent Austin Powers. On the other hand I'm not sure I like how he gets interviews with people like Ron Paul under false pretenses, or how he rubs uncomfortable flirtations with homophobes. While I'm not convinced he's actually causing homophobia, he isn't exactly helping reduce it either, but then it is a comedy not a political film. So it is kind of like a gaysploitation film.

[MrRedFredSaid]

Give me equal protection under the law. Wait forty years, and then come back with this type of humor. Maybe. It's not time for this yet.