Product Details

• Actors: Sacha Baron Cohen, LaToya Jackson, Elton John, Paula Abdul, Sting
• Directors: Larry Charles, Dan Mazer
• Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Studio: Universal Studios
• DVD Release Date: August 22, 2010
• Run Time: 81 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (148 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B002P7UCJ0
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,577 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Bruno" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The brilliant British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen dips into his stable of pre-existing characters and comes up with a big-screen vehicle for Brüno, a gay Austrian fashionista. Brüno is blond, fame-hungry, and prone to wearing unexpected combinations of lederhosen and hot pants. But it's his runway disaster with an all-Velcro suit that gets him barred from the Milan fashion scene and leads to the cancellation of his TV show. ("For the second time in a century, Austria had turned on its most famous man," he complains.) Clearly, he needs to go to America and share his philosophy--or at least become a celebrity in whatever way possible. Brüno rolls out in a fashion similar to Borat, a combination of a scripted through-line interspersed with scenes of Baron Cohen improvising with people who don't realize they're being set up, Candid Camera-style. About half the time, this reaps some healthy laughs: a sequence with Brüno sitting down for a conversation with a "de-programmer" who claims to cure people of their homosexuality is on-topic, and there's a wild series of interviews with parents so desperate to get their kiddies into showbiz they'll agree to all manner of dangerous and irresponsible childcare. A lot of the humor isn't about Brüno's gayness at all; Baron Cohen is at his best when displaying freakish comic bravery (sitting across from a terrorist, he advises that "Your King Osama looks like a dirty wizard"). But the other half of Brüno simply misses the movie's best targets--homophobia and celebrity culture--by miscalculating the nature of ambush comedy. When Baron Cohen gets former Presidential candidate Ron Paul in a hotel room and begins to undress, Paul isn't showing bigotry by storming out (except in his language); he's understandably reacting to obnoxious behavior in a supposedly professional situation. Too many set-ups fall short of the mother-lode pay dirt that Borat so frequently hit, leaving this a distinctly lesser item in the Baron Cohen portfolio. --Robert Horton

Stills from Bruno (Click for larger image)

Product Description

Oscar® nominee and Golden Globe® winner Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat, Da Ali G Show and Talladega Nights) brings you the comedy that has started more conversations, generated more controversy and dared to go further than ever before! As brüno travels the world in search of fame, everyone he encounters — celebrities, politicians, Hasidic Jews, terrorists and cage fighters — becomes a stepping-stone to stardom, with hilarious results! So prepare yourself for nonstop laughs in the film Peter Travers of Rolling Stone says should be “Numero uno on your funny-time list!”

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perhaps the funniest and saddest movie to take on the gay issue yet, December 6, 2009

By 

Neil Kambeaze (Eugene, OR) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bruno (DVD)

I rented Bruno from NetFlix with mixed feelings. I had seen Cohen's other works, including Borat and the Ali G Show, both of which I found deceptively intelligent and political. His ability to make his characters' stupidity an incisive mirror which he holds up to society is mind-boggling. With Borat, I thought this form of comedy had reached it's highest point. I was wrong. Bruno goes further. Some are offended by the gratuitous male nudity. Deal with it. If looking at penises makes you deeply uncomfortable, you probably have issues that run deeper than Bruno. It's true that a lot of the content of the movie revolves around Cohen using his flamboyantly gay character Bruno to make conservative anti-gay types uncomfortable. This can be uncomfortable for the viewer as well, but with the ultimate pay-off of revealing America's deep-seated homophobia and questioning it.

SPOILER WARNING

The film's finale gathers a large number of red-neck cage-fight enthusiasts in an arena for an event hosted by "Straight Dave", Bruno's straight alter-ego. When they get a touching (if gratuitously gay) scene of male-male reconciliation and love, the fans go crazy with disgust. Some of the audience leave, some yell violent hate slogans, some throw drinks at Bruno and his lover. Several of the fans looks shocked and betrayed, several of them comically wearing "Straight Dave" T-shirts they'd gotten for the event. I even saw a few in the crowd who looked like they understood the point that Cohen was making. People who were suddenly more disgusted by the gross display of homophobic violence on the part of the fans than the homosexual love that was taking place within the cage.

While his methods may be questionable, I feel America is indebted to Cohen for his bravery, and that he is one of the single largest contributors to intelligent social commentary through comedy today.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "I want to become the most famous Austrian superstar since Hitler!"-Bruno, January 7, 2010

By 

Tommy Morais (The Great White North) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bruno (DVD)

After the movie Borat in 2006 Sacha Baron Cohen returned to the big screen in 2009 with another of his characters, gay Austrian (you read that right, it's not Australian) Bruno. 19 years old Bruno is known for hosting what is said to be the most famous German speaking television show outside of Germany "Funkyzeit mit Bruno", a show about fashion and for his flamboyant style. Bruno is doing well in the world of fashion but when he gets fired, his assistant leaves him and his lover dumps him he decides to leave for America in order to become famous by any means.When he comes to America Bruno tries a talent agency to get to stare in a big Hollywood movie and become famous, he unsuccessfully tries to starts a new television show, he does an interview, interviews people and he even tries to become straight amongst other things. He will do anything to get famous and is not ashamed of it which will end up in hilarious situations . Bruno to me was really funny, there were some moments were I laughed, others were I was in shock and others in which I didn't quite know what to think which I think was Baron Cohen's goal with this movie. There is a lot of nudity and other shocking things in this movie so be aware it's not for children and not everyone will like it because of it. Bruno goes far with homosexuality and if you are not comfortable with this then Bruno may not be for you. I have no problem with it at all and therefore enjoyed the movie and thought the character was great.

You may not like what Baron Cohen does but you can't deny his ability to re-invent himself, from his Ali-G character to Borat and others and keep what he does controversial, fresh and interesting . Bruno stands on its own and is not a Borat clone, there are a few similarities but the two are very different while retaining the same style of humor Baron Cohen is known for. If you are easily offended don't watch this, it's a different kind of humor that not everyone can appreciate. When it comes to Bruno it's pretty simple you will either love it or hate it. The rating here on amazon may prove otherwise but it's because of the mix of very positive and very negative reviews, there is hardly any middle ground.

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Liberating Male Genitalia, December 24, 2009

By 

Damon Devine (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bruno (DVD)

For those of you who may be "different" or gay and have been hurt, intimidated or shunned by society, you will love this fun-filled jab at your tormentors! As a gay person, I admit to a sadistic thrill out of seeing every single uncomfortable straight person in the film, and those watching it. The hillbilly's, the conservatives, the testosterone-filled and religious nuts all get a taste of their own medicine in this 'Borat-as-a-gay' fun fest.

Some of the scenarios are screamingly funny (the 'channeling Milli Vanilli' scene comes to mind) and you really have to admire the fact that Sasha Baron Cohen is a straight man creating these outlandish situations. So much of it comes off the top of his head, and he has an amazing ability to stay in character.

If you are "offended by male nudity"...then get a life! I saw that phrase SO MANY times in the reviews on here! How many times have you been asked if you were offended by "female nudity"? How many hundreds of movies have you seen with breasts (and "other parts") displayed across the big screen, larger than two-car garages? Did we gasp? Did we run home and complain about how "offensive" it was? I doubt it. Bruno has a penis and we see it, big deal! Well...it DOES have a urethra that talks...but still. He's an unconventional fella...

Why so many Sarah Palin-type Americans chose to view this film anyway, is a mystery. Bruno is UNMISTAKABLY gay on the cover, and they knew he was played by the same guy who was Borat. What were they expecting, a Liberace concert? The truth? Borat was offensive and STRAIGHT and everyone loved it. Bruno is offensive and GAY. And that, apparently, is 'not allowed.'

I say, buy this film. Play it when you're feeling down and it will guarantee you lots of laughs.