Hey, everyone. Capone in Chicago here.

A review of Sacha Baron Cohen's latest sort-of documentary BRÜNO featuring a character that brings out the very worst in American behavior and prejudices is set loose on the world this weekend, and while there are many differences between the flaming Austrian fashion show host Brüno and Kazakhstani traveler Borat (or the British hip-hop wannabe Ali G, for that matter), it's the things that are similar to Cohen's other characters that make the film work so well despite a few shortcomings. With the very clear objective of finding the ultra-shallow and the wildly homophobic in the world today (Brüno does travel the world a bit in this film), Cohen is a master manipulator and instigator; he also feeds off other people's discomfort, and I completely understand how addictive that is, because I certainly enjoy watching it. And while a review for this film could easy just be me describing or transcribing joke after joke, I'm not going to ruin any more of the fun than the trailer already has. Well, maybe a little.

First of all, there are things in this movie that I didn't know you could show in an R-rated movie, and most of them have to do with big mostly erect penises. Most comic actors might make one joke per movie that involves someone catching him in a compromising position that could be interpreted as gay. Ha ha, big laugh, very funny, because of course no comic actors are gay. But Cohen's Brüno bathes naked in those moments, and he would be exceedingly disappointment if his gayness came across as anything but authentic. He has determined that every gay man is looking for sex all the time and that every one wants to be a star. Or, more precisely, he's determined that that's what much of the world thinks of gay men. He flaunts his designer fashions, loose and free attitudes, and sexual aggressiveness to anyone willing to look at him, including a group of four of the scariest hunters I've ever seen, soldiers at a boot camp, church leaders who specialize in de-gay-ification, a frenzied audience of wrestling fans, an angry daytime talk show crowd, and even Republican Congressman and former presidential candidate Ron Paul. The level of anxiety I felt at times watching BRÜNO was immeasurable.

Still, the film is a lot more scripted than Borat, which isn't necessarily a bad thing; it's just different. While BORAT had something resembling a loose story about man making his way across America to meet Pam Anderson, BRÜNO's objectives seem a little less clear. He wants to be a celebrity for some reason, and the result is a series of disconnected pieces connected by Cohen's narration that seems to serve no other purpose than link the segments. There are also perhaps a few too many scripted moments between Brüno and his assistant Lutz (Gustaf Hammarsten), which are still funny but clearly not made up spontaneously. The two have something resembling lovers' quarrels, but they aren't a fraction as interesting as the encounters Brüno has trying to solve the Middle East peace crisis, or searching for exactly what his charitable cause will be to make himself cool in the eyes of the world. In a particularly despicable meeting with an agency that helps celebs find charities, Brüno inquires about what the new trendy charity is: "Clooney has Darfur. What is DarFive?"

Cohen doesn't seem as willing to drag innocent victims into his fun and games, which isn't to say a few folks don't get caught in his crossfire. He seems more intent on going after establishments and large groups of frightfully bigoted people. The aforementioned wrestling scenes starts up as a very funny experiment, but quickly degenerates into one of the ugliest displays of mob behavior that you'll ever see on film or anywhere else. Cohen lingers on the crowd's reaction to seeing two men kiss and slowly begin to undress, and he might as well have flashed, "Vassup, USA!" during the prolonged sequence. It's not one of America's finest moments, for sure.

For those who are curious, the version of the film I saw did have the LaToya Jackson interview taken out, which I'm kind of bummed about, but I completely understand. I'm sure the exchange will show up on the DVD in a few months, and the film certainly doesn't suffer from lack of laughs because of it. In fact, you'll be hard pressed to find two consecutive minutes of BRÜNO where you aren't laughing. Cohen and his BORAT director Larry Charles have again assembled some fantastic footage that emphasizes both Cohen's abilities as a comic writer and a man who knows how to think and react to any situation or danger with comic timing fully intact. This movie is wall-to-wall laughs. Yes, there are huge sections of the film that are exceedingly stupid, but that doesn't mean you won't lose yourself in giggle fits. The film ends with a song, a tribute to Brüno and his never-ending quest for greatness and some level of stardom. Won't you help this gentle Austrian achieve his lifelong goal to conquer the world one nation at a time like his countryman, Hitler? Make BRÜNO your charity of choice, today.

-- Capone
capone@aintitcoolmail.com