Sacha Baron Cohen’s new film divides the gay community

Fri., July 10, 2009

John Anderson Newsday

“Da Ali G Show” – The satirical talk show that begot both Borat and Bruno introduced the Cambridge- educated Cohen to the public as a hip-hop/NBA-inspired, Caribbean-inflected ignoramus who interviewed/sandbagged an array of prominent world figures – from former UN secretary-general “Boutros Boutros Boutros-Ghali” to “boss man of ABC News” Sam Donaldson. Ali G regularly misidentified his guests – Buzz Aldrin was “Buzz Lightyear”; Gore Vidal was “Vidal Sassoon” – and the dialogue was excruciating: During a panel with religious experts, Ali G asked a Catholic priest, “Ain’t it hypocriticalist that so many nuns also work part-time as strippers?” and claimed to have the video to prove it.

“Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan” – Besides defaming an entire Central Asian nation, “Borat” dropped a house on frat-boy culture, and the frat boys fought back: Two former University of South Carolina students and Chi Psi brothers filed legal action, claiming they were duped into appearing in the film. Among other things, they waxed nostalgic for slavery and consumed enormous amounts of alcohol.

“Bruno” – Continuing his campaign of public humiliation, Cohen reverts to “Ali G” tactics with his new film’s torpedoing of Texas congressman Ron Paul. The former presidential candidate, clearly under the impression he’s being involved in a legitimate interview, is ushered into a private hotel bedroom where Bruno engages in an outrageously obvious come-on, eventually dropping his pants – as Paul tries his best to study the pattern on the carpet.

The critics’ take

Here’s what reviewers are saying about “Bruno”:

“While there are some big-laugh moments, Cohen may have dipped into the same stylistic well once too often. When combined with the shock-for-shock’s-sake attempt to push boundaries of tastelessness beyond ‘Borat’ … and the sense that ‘Bruno’ is less improvisational and much more staged/scripted, the film doesn’t reach the levels of hilarity of its predecessors.” – Cary Darling, Fort Worth Star-Telegram

“Too often, ‘Bruno’ feels like ‘Borat’s’ weak-wristed brother, too much of it just a gay cliche aimed straight at the American bigot belt.” – Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

“It’s at times genuinely uncomfortable to watch, but that’s part of the humor. … It’s definitely not for everyone, but for those who get it, it’s a twisted sort of brilliance.” – Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic

“The longer ‘Bruno’ drags on, the more apparent it becomes that there’s nothing to him. He’s as vapid as the celebrity culture he’s stridently spoofing – which makes it hard to care about him.” – Christy Lemire, Associated Press

“One suspects that the story of how ‘Bruno’ got made is considerably more interesting than what’s actually on the screen. In the meantime, we have this film, which is simultaneously funny, infuriating, daring, cruel and tasteless.” – Robert W. Butler, Kansas City Star

Among those poised to get lathered up over “Bruno” – comic-critic Sacha Baron Cohen’s new exercise in carefully calibrated bad taste – are Jews, blacks, hunters, wrestling fans, the military, Austrians, Hamas, Ron Paul and people who watch daytime talk shows. Oh yes, and gays.

In his follow-up to the wildly successful and outrageous “Borat,” Cohen has again made a movie whose notoriety precedes it.

And one which has the homosexual community feeling particularly anxious: Its title character, first seen on “Da Ali G Show,” is a flamboyantly homosexual fashionista who wants to be “the biggest Austrian superstar since Adolf Hitler.”

What’s more of a legitimate concern for gays – and not just gays, of course – isn’t Cohen caricature of Bruno’s sexuality, but how that portrayal will be received by the less-than-brilliant. Opinion is all over the map.

“Those of us at the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation who saw ‘Bruno’ agreed that it’s not really helpful to try to critique this as a single film,” said GLAAD’s senior director of media programs, Rashad Robinson, in a prepared statement.

“It’s really a 90-minute series of sketches – some of which hit their mark, but some of which hit our community instead, and in ways that feel fundamentally antithetical to the intentions of the filmmakers.”

“I thought it was uneven and thin, but very funny, and I loved the various set pieces involving outrageous sex,” said gay Village Voice columnist Michael Musto.

A steamy hot-tub shot is one of those instances in the film that purposely takes what are presumed to be straight perceptions of the gay sex life and explodes them beyond recognition. Will straight audiences understand the overstatement?

“I think it’s a very, very gay movie,” said Corey Scholibo, arts-entertainment editor for the gay-centric Advocate magazine. “And I think gay people, when they see this film, are going to feel it’s a movie that was made for them.”

But even while thinking “Bruno” was “hilarious” (“I spit my water out”), Scholibo said his personal jury is still out regarding the film and the larger straight population.

“I think young straight men who aren’t gay-positive will be going to ‘Bruno’ and laugh at it,” he said. “Whether or not, in the process, Cohen in some genius way undermines any of their fears – which is a very real possibility – that would be great. Or will they be laughing at the silly queers?

“… I don’t know how it’s going to play out, especially at a very heated time about gay rights in the United States.”

Same-sex marriage. Benefits for federal workers. Don’t ask-don’t tell. Ongoing violence against gays. The issues are ripe, and defensiveness is understandable, even if most agree the enemy isn’t Cohen.

“I think there’s far more of a danger of homophobia being exacerbated by the religious right and elected officials who push inequality,” said David Kilmnick, CEO of Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth.

“I’m not offended by it,” he said of “Bruno,” adding: “It’s in line with the type of films (Cohen) makes, so it’s not anything out of the ordinary. He’s trying to get a reaction out of people about different things.

“If you laugh at ’Family Guy,’ if you laugh at ’South Park,’ all these shows, they really have the message of how ridiculous all this stuff is,” said Kilmnick.

“I think it’s important in life when you’re dealing with the daily struggles of inequality that you take a second to sit back and laugh. That’s always been the medicine for those who’ve been oppressed.”