by Linda S. Mills

Created on: August 14, 2009   Last Updated: August 15, 2009

You have to give him credit, film maker Sacha Baron Cohen has a knack for conjuring up a story line that sizzles with gross absurdity and social commentary in equal measure. This time around, he layers themes of celebrity obsession (think Brittany and Paris) and gay phobia, points of interest that dominate our media-hyped radar screen almost 24-7.

The flamboyantly gay Bruno has shamed himself out of the fashion industry in his native Austria but refuses to give up on his dream of becoming an international superstar. With his platonic assistant in tow, he sashays around the globe in search of that one paparazzi moment that will change his fortune, wiggling himself into peace negotiations with middle-eastern terrorists and politicians; quasi-interviews with real-life celebrities; and a guest stint on a highly-charged African-American talk show, his adoptive black baby sleeping peacefully at his side (it worked for Angelina).

As with Borat, Baron Cohen's first raunchy path to enlightenment, the velocity of this movie rests on Bruno's ability to extract authentic, unscripted responses to his outrageous behavior. He gleefully preys upon ordinary people who are simply being their bigoted, self-righteous selves and, as he did the first time around, he pays a visit to small town America to troll for his perfect victims.

Without giving too much away, let's just say Bruno goes on an odyssey that includes everything from an attempted sexual conversion to an outrageous encounter at a swinger's sex party and it is nearly impossible to tell the difference between real and pretend reactions to his over-the-top antics.

Baron Cohen's Bruno does have some funny moments, particularly if viewers can channel their inner 13-year-old long enough to appreciate rubber genitalia and other crude homoerotic jokes that permeate much of the movie. The story entertains best when other characters slice up a scene and steal some of the limelight away from the ego-maniacal Bruno, since his character becomes (heaven forbid) a bit boring after a while.

Inevitably, Bruno shines the strobe light on a culture that is both mesmerized by fame and fueled by intolerance. It is, most certainly, a madman's journey full of deranged, cringe-worthy moments but raw with a brand of honesty that only Sacha Baron Cohen does best. Perhaps, next time, he would like to try his hand at filming an expose in his own neck of the woods - surely the Brits can't be all that dull?

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