Brüno (2009)

Flamboyant and gay Austrian Brüno looks for new fame in America.

Director:

Larry Charles

Writers:

Sacha Baron Cohen (screenplay), Anthony Hines (screenplay)

Stars:

Sacha Baron Cohen, Gustaf Hammarsten, Clifford Bañagale

2 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sacha Baron Cohen	...	Brüno
Gustaf Hammarsten	...	Lutz
Clifford Bañagale	...	Diesel
Chibundu Orukwowu	...	O.J.
Chigozie Orukwowu	...	O.J.
Josh Meyers	...	Kookus
Toby Holguin	...	Mexican Gardener #1 (as Toby Hoguin)
Robert Huerta	...	Mexican Gardener #2
Gilbert Rosales	...	Mexican Gardener #3
Thomas Rosales Jr.	...	Mexican Gardener #4
Marco Xavier	...	Mexican Gardener #5
Bono	...	Himself - 'Dove of Peace'
Chris Martin	...	Himself - 'Dove of Peace'
Elton John	...	Himself - 'Dove of Peace'
Slash	...	Himself - 'Dove of Peace'

Storyline

Brüno is a gay Austrian fashion guru. He has his own fashion based television show, Funkyzeit, the most popular German-language show of its kind outside of Germany. After he disgraces himself in front of his Funkyzeit fan base, he is ruined in German speaking Europe. He decides that in his quest for worldwide fame, he will move to Los Angeles and reinvent himself. Accompanying him to the US is Lutz, his former assistant's assistant. Lutz is the only person left in his circle that still believes in Brüno's greatness. Brüno goes through one reinvention of himself after another, ultimately straying to areas far removed from his own self. Perhaps when Brüno finds an activity that he truly does love, he will also find that über-fame he so desperately desires.

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Plot Keywords:

social satire | mockumentary | fame | austrian | vicarious embarrassment | 

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Taglines:

Borat was so 2006

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Genres:

Comedy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for pervasive strong and crude sexual content, graphic nudity and language

Details

Country:

USA UK

Language:

English German

Release Date:

10 July 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

Brüno: Delicious Journeys Through America for the Purpose of Making Heterosexual Males Visibly Uncomfortable in the Presence of a Gay Foreigner in a Mesh T-Shirt

Filming Locations:

1880 SW Gage Blvd, Topeka, Kansas, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$42,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£5,000,229 (United Kingdom), 10 July 2009, Limited Release

Opening Weekend USA:

$30,619,130, 12 July 2009, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$60,054,530

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$138,805,831

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures,Media Rights Capital (MRC),Everyman Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

81 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Chris Martin: As himself in "The Dove of Peace" sequence.

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Goofs

The two women accompanying Straight Dave to the cage are first seen wearing pink dresses. Closer to the ring, their dresses have vanished. Upon entering the cage, their dresses reappear.

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Quotes

Brüno: We have chosen your baby to be dressed as a Nazi Officer, pushing a wheelbarrow, with a Jewish baby, into an oven!

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Crazy Credits

The U in the Universal logo is spelled with an umlaut (Ü) like the movie's title.

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Alternate Versions

In Australia, the uncut version was rated R18+ by the OFLC and was subsequently edited to receive a lower MA15+ rating. According to Universal a few seconds of footage were trimmed in order to receive the new rating. The uncut version was released on DVD/Blu-ray.

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Connections

Referenced in Todd's Pop Song Reviews: Lighters (2011)

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Soundtracks

Thunderdome Til We Die
Written by P.P. Pigmans
Performed by 3 Steps Ahead
Courtesy of Be Yourself Music

User Reviews

Too bold for uptight America

Granted, the DVD I rented began to skip about halfway through the film and I didn't see the whole movie, I believe that the only reason that this movie doesn't get the same reviews as Borat is because the American audience is too uptight. Yes, the movie is gross and at times cringe-inducing. Some of the more extreme scenes could have been hampered down, but I believe at the expense of the humor. Posters say they have never met anyone like Bruno, however have they ever met anyone like Borat. Neither exist in the real world and that is why the movie works. Cohen is a brilliant improviser and always two steps ahead of his targets. Some of the pranks don't deliver, but that's okay. I admire his audacity. For all the people who say it was too gross, imagine if the film was filled with explicit heterosexual sex, I'm sure the reaction would be much different. The aversion to this movie is primarily because there is a deep seated disgust to homosexual activity within the American psyche and even the most tolerant liberal is likely to be disgusted at some point. That's okay, that is why the movie works, it asks us what it is and why we are appalled.