Brüno

This movie is...different. There's really no other way to put it. Some people will love it and some people will hate it. I'm in the middle.

Brüno is presented as a "mockumentary" in the style of Spinal Tap and other Christopher Guest films, and it's executed pretty well. There's a good balance between Brüno's interaction with the audience and with the other characters.

The humor is pretty ridiculous, and MUST be taken with a grain of salt. The movie is about a gay Austrian fashion designer, so sex is worked into just about every joke of the movie. (Racial stereotypes come in at a close second.) Some of it is pretty clever, while a lot of it is shamelessly extreme. It all boils down to taste. If vulgarity is not your cup of tea, then you will absolutely hate this movie. The only other movie I can readily think of that is as blatantly offensive as this film is South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut.

Brüno is a pretty one-dimensional character, but he is fun to watch. He alternates between speaking in English and speaking in German, so his hackneyed German accent doesn't get tiring. His homosexuality is hardly anything new, either. It isn't representitive of any new ideas toward homosexuality and exists soley to be laughed at, which will undoubtedly annoy many homosexuals. All of this, however, isn't meant to offend so much as present a caricature of the modern celebrity and the public's attitude toward him.

All in all, I liked Brüno. While I laughed at the obscene jokes, I really enjoyed the smaller and smarter jokes. I also can't help but admire how authentic this film feels. Its truly outrageous parts are bountiful, but they cross so far over the line of credibility that they entertain instead of annoy.

Again, this movie does not aspire to be anything more than a laugh-fest, so bear that in mind if and when you see it.