Brüno (2009)
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An Austrian fashion journalist travels to Los Angeles to launch a celebrity interview show, pushing the boundaries of decorum to the limit.
The story
Gay Austrian fashion reporter Brüno Gehard is fired from his own television show, Funkyzeit mit Brüno, after disrupting a Milan Fashion Week catwalk, and his lover Diesel leaves him for another man. Accompanied by his assistant's assistant, Lutz Schulz, he travels to the United States to become a famous Hollywood celebrity. Brüno begins a series of increasingly bizarre and offensive attempts to gain fame, including trying to land an acting role as an extra, conducting outrageous celebrity interviews, and attempting to produce a celebrity interview pilot.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After being fired from his show and dumped by his lover, Austrian fashion reporter Brüno Gehard travels to Los Angeles with his assistant's assistant, Lutz Schulz, to become a Hollywood celebrity. His quest involves a series of failed endeavors: he tries to be an extra on 'Medium', conducts a bizarre interview with Paula Abdul, and produces a celebrity interview pilot that is hated by a focus group. He attempts to make a sex tape with politician Ron Paul, consults a spiritualist to contact a deceased lover, and travels to Jerusalem to interview Middle Eastern politicians, where he confuses hummus and Hamas. After being kicked out of a talk show for his 'difficulties' as a single parent and losing his 'child' O.J. to social services, Brüno and Lutz find themselves trapped in a bondage mechanism in a hotel. After a series of events including a confrontation with anti-gay protesters and a failed attempt to become heterosexual through 'converters,' Brüno eventually finds fame by hosting a cage fight in Arkansas under the alias 'Straight Dave.' The event leads to a public display of affection with Lutz, which goes viral. The film concludes with Brüno recording a song with several famous musicians at Abbey Road Studios.
- First release year
- 2009
- Runtime (minutes)
- 83
- Production countries
- United States; United Kingdom
- Original languages
- English; German
- Directors
- Larry Charles
- Writers
- Sacha Baron Cohen · screenplay; Anthony Hines · screenplay; Dan Mazer · screenplay; Jeff Schaffer · screenplay; Sacha Baron Cohen · story; Peter Baynham · story; Anthony Hines · story; Dan Mazer · story
- Cast and characters
- Sacha Baron Cohen · Brüno Gehard; Gustaf Hammarsten · Lutz "Garry" Schulz; Clifford Bañagale · Diesel Ramirez; Chibundu & Chigozie Orukwowu · O.J. Gehard; Josh Meyers · Kookus Mansfield; Gary Williams · the spiritualist; Michelle McLaren · the dominatrix; Vic Henley · the ring announcer
- Genres
- mockumentary; comedy
- Themes
- homophobia; satire; celebrity culture
- Tone and mood
- crude; offensive; outlandish; entertaining
- Premise and plot tags
- mockumentary; satire; LGBTQ-related; fashion
- Source material / true-story basis
- Da Ali G Show (2000–04)
- Franchise connections
- Da Ali G Show
- Content notes
- male nudity
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics and was a commercial success, grossing $139 million worldwide on a $42 million budget.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 68% · review count: 227; Metacritic · score: 54 · scale: 100 · review count: 34; CinemaScore · score: C · scale: A+ to F
- Production trivia
- Sacha Baron Cohen wore a wig to make his forehead appear smaller to hide his identity during filming.; A riot ensued during a staged 'Blue Collar Brawlin'' in Fort Smith, Arkansas.; The film was banned in Ukraine due to its 'obscene language, homosexual scenes, and other scenes of offensive nature.'
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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