(F) Click here to watch the trailer. Talking about his 1960s sitcom Gilligan’s Island, television producer Sherwood Schwartz said, “I knew that by assembling seven different people and forcing them to live together, the show would have great philosophical implications.” Whether or not Mr. Schwartz actually believed that, most people who have seen Gilligan’s Island think it is related to philosophical commentary in the same way a Moon Pie is related to gourmet food. It’s fine to like Gilligan’s Island and Moon Pies, but let’s be honest about what they are. With Borat in 2006 and now Brüno in 2009, Sacha Baron Cohen may be pretending to produce commentaries on attitudes and prejudices in America; but since his film characters are inspired by his television comedy shows, one must wonder if the films are mainly a device to get away with making fun of a poor immigrant from Kazakhstan (Borat, 2006) and, now, a gay fashion reporter from Austria (Brüno). Brüno takes a half-hearted swipe at gay bashing, but I question the sincerity when Brüno’s flaming homosexuality is used a comedic device throughout the movie. Also, the people he encounters don’t seem prejudiced to me: most of their negative reaction to Brüno is because of his insulting behavior, not his sexual orientation. Brüno is far less funny than Borat and every bit as crude and disgusting, if not more so. I respect Sacha Baron Cohen’s ability to stay in character while putting people on, and he can definitely think on his feet; unfortunately, he takes things far beyond the boundaries of good taste. Read the Rest of This Review »