It's safe to say that Sacha Baron Cohen has no shame. It's also safe to say that he isn't afraid to put himself into situations where he often seems just one wrong move from being shot. In 2006 he shocked and traumatized us with "Borat", hilariously (and disturbingly) using stereotypes to show people's secret and not so secret prejudices. Just shy of three years later, and he's at it again, this time with results that lead more toward shocking than hilarious. Now he's transformed into Bruno, a gay Austrian fashionista, who after some personal setbacks decides to make it big in America. From his ill-fated attempt to start a TV show, to his journey to "become straight", to his plan to seduce Ron Paul (yes, that Ron Paul), the situations this man puts himself in are nothing short of jaw-dropping. However, where Bruno suffers is in its determination to shock rather than shock and make us laugh, and that it has more staged bits. Granted, "Borat" had plenty of staged bits, but within the context of the film they felt real. Now, things like Bruno's conversation with his Pygmy lover are knowingly fake, and it detracts from the faux-documentary style. As for the laughs, there are plenty, but they don't hit as hard those in "Borat", even at their best. More impressive than the entire film is Cohen himself, who can hold character and improvise in akward situations (interviewing the head of a terrorist group, meeting with top government officials from Palestine and Israel while confusing Hamas with Hummus, etc...). The man knows how to fully immerse himself in his ridiculous characters even when it brings physical harm to him. But unfortunately, this isn't always enough, and while "Bruno" certainly does provide some laughs and some unbelievably disturbing moments, now that we know what to expect, perhaps it's time that Baron Cohen retire these characters and quit while he's still ahead.
Grade: B-
