Reviews of Brüno and I Love You, Beth Cooper
Brüno
Directed by Larry Charles
Starring Sacha Baron Cohen
***
On the surface, Borat and Brüno more or less seem like the same movie. Both involve British comic Sacha Baron Cohen dressing up as an outrageous caricature and putting himself in the middle of real (or, in some cases, semi-scripted) situations with real people while several cameras film the results. Because of this deliberately chaotic production process, it stands to reason that neither film has much of a story; instead, they are basically an assembly of sketches strung loosely together by voiceover.
Given that they are so similar in style and structure, one would think that the films deliver an equal number of laughs as well. From my standpoint though, Brüno is a smarter, savvier and all-around funnier movie than its predecessor. Why? It comes down to the way the respective characters are positioned in their respective movies. Borat was more of an assimilation tale, with the titular Kazakh journalist coming to America eager to learn how to be just like us…and failing miserably. In contrast, the flamboyantly gay Austrian fashion reporter Brüno isn’t really concerned with conforming to the American way of life—it’s his world and we just live in it.
Aside from allowing for more creative and emotionally charged encounters with real people—Brüno’s arrogance is far funnier than Borat’s wide-eyed naïveté—this characterization helps the movie navigate around the potential pitfall of endorsing homophobia instead of satirizing it. It’s established early on that Brüno loves being gay and can’t understand why anyone would have a problem with it. Even though the movie could be taken to task for the way it occasionally seeks to score easy laughs through the sight of two men dressed in bondage gear or playing with elaborate sex toys, Brüno’s gleeful enthusiasm during these scenes makes it clear that he doesn’t think any of this is weird. And if he doesn’t, why should we?
In fact, the only time Brüno’s smile starts to fade is in the film’s second half, when he decides that in order to achieve his dream of global superstardom, he’ll have to put himself back in the closet. This Herculean task leads him from the bright lights of Hollywood—where he’s spent that past forty-five minutes pursuing celebrity via such crazy stunts as filming his own sex tape (with former Presidential candidate Ron Paul), devoting himself to charitable causes and adopting an African baby a la Angelina Jolie—to the Deep South. Among the people he crosses paths with are two “ex-gay” evangelists, a trio of heavily armed redneck hunters and a big-breasted dominatrix who wields a mean whip. I’m not going to reveal where Brüno’s Southern sojourn ends, but I will say that the film’s climactic 15 minutes are crazier than anything in Borat (yes, including the infamous nude wrestling scene) while also providing some potent social commentary and a surprisingly emotional—and staunchly pro-gay—finale. Quite frankly, based on the shit he pulls in this last sequence, I’m amazed that Cohen made it out of the South alive, but kudos to him for putting his own well-being on the line for our enjoyment and enlightenment.
Of course, nothing kills a comedy like over-analysis, so I should say that I wasn’t thinking much about the deeper implications of Brüno’s behavior while I was watching the film. Instead, I was alternately gasping and laughing my ass off at the sheer insanity unfolding onscreen. No doubt realizing that this is the last time he’ll be able to get away with this kind of guerrilla comedy, Cohen goes for broke and while not all of the gags land—a detour to the Middle East doesn’t pay off as successfully as it should, for example—the hit-to-miss ratio is much higher here than in Borat. One can only speculate what Cohen will do next, but Brüno is a memorable capper to the first half of his career.
Verdict: See It
—————————————————————————————-
I Love You, Beth Cooper
Directed by Chris Columbus
Starring Hayden Panettiere, Paul Rust, Jack T. Carpenter, Lauren London
**
I wasn’t expecting much when I randomly picked up ex-Simpsons writer Larry Doyle’s debut novel I Love You, Beth Cooper a few years back. Within the first few pages though, I was laughing hysterically at Doyle’s hilarious prose, which deftly balanced broad comedy with painfully true descriptions of the draconian social caste system that is high school. Set over the course of one long day and night, the story follows outcast Denis Coverman as he improbably ends up riding shotgun opposite his dream girl, Beth Cooper, with her ‘roided-up soldier boy boyfriend hot on their tail.
It made perfect sense to bring Doyle’s book to the big screen—unfortunately the humor and emotion got completely lost in translation. It’s hard to blame the young cast, who show up ready to have some fun; Heroes knockout Hayden Panettiere is a natural choice for the role of the hottest girl in school (expect her legion of male admirers to pick up the film on DVD for her split-second topless scene) and Paul Rust, making his leading man debut as Denis, is genuinely nerdy instead of “movie star” nerdy. From the opening scenes though, the movie’s pace and timing are noticeably off; scenes that played like gangbusters on the page are awkward and improbable on screen.
Director Chris Columbus seems completely flummoxed by the material, which is strange when you recall that he got his start writing and/or directing some of the best teen romps of the ’80s, including The Goonies and Adventures in Babysitting. Based on this movie, you’d never know he’d even seen a comedy before, let alone made one. Instead of paying $12 to see I Love You, Beth Cooper on the big screen, head to your local library and check out Doyle’s book for free. It’s cheaper and funnier than sitting through the movie version.
Verdict: Skip It
