Bruno - a German's Review
Posts: 1621
  • Posted On: Jul 13 2009 7:48am
(Spoilers inside)

Yes, that movie.

I saw it today as part of a date which inevitably failed horribly. I would like to make some coy comment about the similarity between the date and the movie, but my expectation for the latter were low to begin with.

As a film, the movie had a very thin plot and I was unable to feel sorry/elated/happy/etc for the main character, aka Bruno. Why? Well, firstly, as a gay man, I am able to make fun of myself and the culture to which I more or less belong. As a German, I am far less comical and accepting; as Austria is only temporarily removed from Greater Germany, I was tempted to leave the film several times. Comments about Bruno wanting to be the most famous Austrian - next to Hitler - were bold enough to elicit a chorttle. Comments about posing a baby as an Allgemeine SS member and wheeling another baby towards an oven were not comical at all. Vulgar is beyond it.

Of course, we come to moments of comedy. When trying to decide on what celebreties to interview, Bruno adds some quasi German inflections to names (Will Smith becomes Wilhelm Schmitt). The funniest is, after reciting all names, Bruno comes to a picture of Mel Gibson and inquires Der Fuhrer?

These moments of actual comedy were far too few to make the movie worth time or money. And as it continued, I was more and more apt to ask for a refund. I am a guy - arent half of us? - and nudity is always a good thing. Well - almost always. There is entirely too much here, and this is pointless nudity and full at that. I cannot believe the film did not have an NC 17 rating for all of its penises.

It's 0400 and I am rather exhausted, so that I've formed a coherent sentence is no mean feat. Let me close by saying the movie was far from what I expected - and since my expectations started low, that's saying alot - and not worth the effort it took to watch. As a film intent on wowing and raising eyebrows and eliciting aghast reactions, it succeeded marvelously. Those of us whose neurons actually fire will find it a borish, unenelightened waste of cinematic space. Borat was better by far.




Note - my opinion of the Lord Duke Sir Elton Johann has dipped also given his cameo.
Posts: 5711
  • Posted On: Jul 13 2009 7:54am
I think, were Sacha Baron Cohen to read your review, that he would appreciate your opinions as, much as with Borat and Ali G, his aim - to push the envelope of humor and our tolerance as people - was achieved in spades.

I can see how some people might be offended by some of the humor in the film, others with all of it, but that's the beauty; our level of enjoyment reflects our sympathy with his idea of what is funny.
Posts: 1621
  • Posted On: Jul 13 2009 12:52pm
If you've any love for me at all, beff, do not use the word baron in his name. He was not born too it, nor did he earn it.

His shock value is certainly at the nth degree here. No less than 17 people - I stopped counting there - left during the show.
Posts: 217
  • Posted On: Jul 13 2009 3:50pm
baron is part of his given name.

and you are exactly the type of person he wants to see this movie, telan

he wants the uptight and close-minded to be shocked because it proves what kind of person they are.

such as running naked through the god hates fags people. that was great.
Posts: 1621
  • Posted On: Jul 13 2009 3:58pm
Yes, that was one of those comical scenes. But there were others that were uncalled for. Singing in front of the former Chief of Mossad? Very wrong- he deserves far more respect.
Posts: 602
  • Posted On: Jul 13 2009 5:01pm
Writer, you use the terms close-minded and uptight quite liberally, I find.

Yet are you yourself not close-minded and uptight simply by catagorizing people such as Telan (and, incidentally, myself) as close-minded and uptight because we share views that are different from what you consider open-minded?

As the movie goes, I haven't seen it, nor do I wish to, so I cannot comment on it intelligently other than to say that if what Telan says about it is true, I probably agree with him and even would go farther than he would in condemning it.
Posts: 5711
  • Posted On: Jul 13 2009 9:11pm
That's because you're an asshole.

And so is Telan.

Both of you would love to live in a world where a nationally scantioned government body tells us what is funny and what isn't if, and only if, that body held opinions which matched your own.
Posts: 217
  • Posted On: Jul 13 2009 9:21pm
life is shit without humor.

if the chief of mossad can't find that funny then he is a sour, dried up asshole.

samething for ron paul, whom i admire, being confused as rupaul.

the entire point of the movie is satire. on goverment, religion, politics, the film industry, and paparazzi, culture, race, everything is touched on. so rest assured you weren't the only one offended.

the great equalizer is death and i died laughing.
Posts: 5711
  • Posted On: Jul 13 2009 9:24pm
You're not funny.

That's not opinion, it's fact. Humor is not subjective!

Also, pie.
Posts: 217
  • Posted On: Jul 13 2009 9:24pm
also;


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