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Bruno

Movie Grade: D

DVD Features Grade: B

Overall Grade: C

Through a series of missteps and misadventures I ended up missing this movie when it was in theaters. Normally I make it a point to see everything that I can when it is screened for press, especially if it's a movie that I'm anxiously anticipating like this one, but sadly I missed out. Now thanks to the DVD release I can finally say I'm in the know when it comes to Bruno. Unfortunately, however, after having seen it I wish I had stayed in the dark.

Unlike Sacha Baron Cohen's first film Borat which was completely unscripted and filled with only him and his unwitting participants, Bruno blurs the line between scripted situations and the candid camera style run-ins. This was incredibly distracting for me as I spent most of the movie asking myself if it was real or staged. Not to mention the fact that his antics this time around were far more unbelievable and borderline grotesque even for me; so I can only imagine what normal audience goers thought.

The thing that bothers me most about this film is that it plays into the gay stereotypes that terrify Middle America and amplify them to the Nth degree. I know that it's just a raunchy comedy that is only supposed to entertain but unfortunately I think something like this actually hurts the gay civil rights movement in that you will have people seeing it or hearing about it and they will say, "see that's how all gay people are and it's disgusting." It's not by any means an intelligent opinion, but truthfully I've given up on expecting those from the ignorant masses of the country. Laughing at the amount of hate that is thrown at a group of people simply for being who they are isn't fun or entertaining.

It's also disappointing because the second half of the film has some scenes where he challenges those narrow minded opinions more and brings their irrational fears to light by simply asking questions and letting them speak their 'minds' as he did in the first film. The scenes with the guy who claims to be able to convert gay guys into straight guys and the over weight redneck Karate instructor teaching him how to defend against gays attacking with dildos were ridiculous, but not offensive to gays. Listening to those morons speak were my favorite parts of the film. Because anyone who watches that is going to raise an eyebrow as to how ridiculous those opinions are.

There's also a scene where he is camping with three rednecks who are scared he's going to want to have sex with them. This is the thing that I still don't get about hetero guys"¦ if you're fat, toothless and dirty no decent looking gay guy is gonna wanna

come anywhere near you!!! I mean, get over it "” you're gross! I personally think Hollywood needs to stop showing frumpy gross looking guys making out and start showing the hot muscle guys making out. Suddenly gay sex won't look so wrong "” trust me!

The Special Features on the disc include an interview with Bruno's agent where he explains how he can possibly be an agent working in Hollywood and have not realized it was Sacha Baron Cohen which was interesting, then there is the standard commentary track and some extended and deleted scenes. The deleted scenes actually played better than the movie because most of them were more interviews with unsuspecting people which is really the heart of what makes his films worth watching.

My advice for the next film, stick to what works. Interviewing ignorant small minded people in a persona that makes them uncomfortable will always yield the greatest results and biggest laughs. Forget anything scripted and certainly don't try to blend the two together again.

Movie Grade: D

DVD Features Grade: B

Overall Grade: C