Brüno (2009)

The critic finds Brüno hilariously bold and transgressive, though its satire is not especially sophisticated. They single out Sacha Baron Cohen’s fully committed performance and the film’s abundance of taboo-breaking jokes.

Bradshaw finds the film howlingly funny and brilliantly confrontational, despite worries about fakery and a disappointing ending. He singles out the real Ron Paul interview as a sublime display of Baron Cohen’s nerve.

Abrams finds the film’s provocative, confrontational comedy effective and more accomplished than Cohen’s earlier stunt work. He especially praises how the threat of violence makes viewers complicit in laughing at Brüno’s targets.

Sharkey finds the film often less insightful than its predecessor, but ultimately praises its knack for provoking audiences. She singles out Baron Cohen’s fearless boundary-pushing, while questioning whether some stunts reveal more about the film crew than their targets.

The page identifies this as a review, but the text is hidden behind a registration prompt. The available material gives no critical verdict or specific praise or complaint.

The 3/5 rating suggests a mixed verdict. The available description singles out the studio’s apparent commitment to civil rights, but is cut off.

Lowe finds the film funny and capable of sharp satire, but says it feels overexposed and overstays its welcome. He praises Baron Cohen’s audacious commitment while criticizing the clunky pranks and filler subplot.

McCarthy finds the film undeniably funny and boundary-pushing, but says its nastiness and misanthropy sour the laughs. He praises its jaw-dropping provocations while faulting the staged-feeling, scripted approach and Bruno’s self-absorbed character.

Wise finds the comedy patchy and less effective than Borat, with its satire lacking a clear purpose. He praises several outrageous set pieces and singles out Lutz for bringing welcome innocence.

The critic finds the film only intermittently funny and often tedious, especially compared with Borat. He praises the Middle East sequences for producing some genuinely funny moments.

Connelly strongly recommends the film as both a comedy and a revealing portrait of society. He praises how its fictional character provokes real people to expose hypocrisy, stupidity and bigotry.

The critic finds Brüno crude but frequently hilarious, with Sacha Baron Cohen in inspired form. Cohen’s immersive performance and the film’s shocking encounters are singled out for praise, though the opening is patchy and the finale slightly contrived.

Davis finds Brüno sharper, funnier, and more focused than Borat, though some stunts feel pointless or uncomfortable. He particularly praises Baron Cohen’s varied wordplay and the film’s biting satire of celebrity image-making.

Kermode finds the film a strong, funny critique of celebrity culture and homophobia, though some queer-subculture jokes may be obscure to straight viewers. She particularly praises the cage-fight sequence for exposing the contrast between audiences’ tolerance of violence and discomfort with two men kissing.

The critic recommends the film to fans of Sacha Baron Cohen, though its humor does not stay consistently engaging. He singles out the Paula Abdul interview and the talk-show audience’s reactions as especially funny.

The critic finds Brüno funny at times but concludes it fails to recapture Borat’s success and feels like an overlong TV program. They praise Cohen’s commitment and comic ability, while criticizing some provocations as disrespectful.

The critic argues that Brüno is a disappointing, crueler follow-up to Borat. They fault Cohen’s character as forced and counterfeit, and say the film loses the innocence that made its predecessor’s gross-out comedy work.