Sacha Baron Cohen

Blu-Ray Review: ‘Bruno’ Lacks Freshness, But Delivers Plentiful Laughs

BrianTT — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:30:56 -0700

CHICAGO – “Fearless” is the best way to describe the comedy of Sacha Baron Cohen. People who find his humor too vulgar and over-the-top have missed the point. Cohen’s goal is to be as vulgar and over-the-top as humanly possible.

Blu-Ray Rating: 3.5/5.0

I’m reminded of Mel Brooks’ oft-quoted quip, “My movies rise below vulgarity.” His comic personas are deliberately outrageous caricatures that seem to have been spawned directly from conservative America’s fear of the “other” (whether it be a homosexual or a Khazakistanian). When Cohen plunks his fictional creations into real-world situations alongside unsuspecting citizens, the results range from “Candid Camera”-style shock gags to brilliant evocations of repressed prejudices. At his best, Cohen is a triumphant champion of tolerance. He’s like Mel Brooks, Norman Lear and Peter Sellers all in one side-splitting package, and his package has never acquired more screen time than it does in “Bruno.”

Bruno was released on Blu-Ray and DVD on November 17th, 2009.
Photo credit: Universal Home Video

Bruno was my favorite of Cohen’s three characters he embodied on his short-lived yet extraordinary “Da Ali G Show.” He’s a flamboyantly gay fashion reporter who exposes both the inherent mindlessness of the fashion culture, and the aggressive homophobia that exists in many Americans. Yet in his film, fashion quickly takes a backseat to homophobia, as Bruno finds himself fired from his reporting job, and decides to become a big-time celebrity in America…by any means necessary. That includes adopting an African baby, filming a sex tape (in which he mistakes Ron Paul for RuPaul), and becoming straight. On his quest for fame, Bruno is considerably more bitchy and self-obsessed than he was on the TV show, but that’s a minor quibble. The main problem with “Bruno” is…well, the exact same problem with “Borat.” What works in short vignettes on television tends to run out of steam at feature length on the big screen.

Bruno was released on Blu-Ray and DVD on November 17th, 2009.
Photo credit: Universal Home Video

When “Borat” jettisoned into mainstream theaters in 2006, only a small die-hard fan base was familiar with his comedy. To the masses, “Borat” was fresh and cutting-edge. “Bruno” has the misfortune of being made after “Borat,” and thus may seem like just more of the same. Its slick, MTV-style look (appropriate to its character) isn’t as inventive as the foreign documentary structure of “Borat.” Some critics have accused Cohen of selling out to become a commercial product, but they are confusing the artist with the character. While Oscar winners like “Milk” are still limited to art house circuits, “Bruno” is the most mainstream call for gay rights American audiences have had the opportunity to see at their local theater.

For all of its shortcomings, “Bruno” still made my throat sore from laughing, and for all of its hit-or-miss gags, it delivered several unforgettable moments of comic genius. There’s some acrobatic sexual activity that may boggle the most liberal mind, and an uproarious TV pilot Bruno plays for appalled test audiences that builds to what may very well be the single most outrageous image ever to be granted the R-rating by the MPAA. Bruno’s graphic “kissing” of an invisible male spirit is some kind of dirty tour-de-force, and a climactic sequence set in a violently heterosexual cage match manages to equal “Borat”’s great rodeo scene while achieving a kind of beautiful poignance amidst the raucous hilarity. At the end of “Bruno”’s slight 84 minutes, the prevailing feeling is not of embarrassment or disgust, but rather gleeful elation at Cohen’s gift for finding vital truth in outlandish humor.

“Bruno” is presented in 1080p High Definition (with a 1.85:1 aspect ratio), and is accompanied by English, Spanish and French audio tracks. Though the BD-Live-enabled disc includes over an hour of additional footage, no deleted scene proves to be as memorable as Borat’s trip through the supermarket. The true highlight of the film’s Blu-ray edition is a thoroughly entertaining video commentary by Cohen and director Larry Charles. It provides a surprisingly candid look behind the scenes, as the duo discusses their endless battles with disgruntled citizens, confused cops, and the MPAA.

‘Bruno’ is released by Universal Home Entertainment and stars Sacha Baron Cohen. It was written by Sacha Baron Cohen & Anthony Hines & Dan Mazer & Jeff Schaffer and directed by Larry Charles. It was released on November 17th, 2009. It is rated R.

By MATT FAGERHOLM
Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com

‘Brüno’: Must a Movie Like This Be Broadcast Üniversal?

Ebeth — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 01:02:10 -0600

CHICAGO – As a tribute to “Borat,” let’s start with a lesson in “not” jokes.

“Brüno” is everything one would hope for in a Sacha Baron Cohen return. The film is hilarious, unpredictable and worth every dollar it will make… not! There is a great fallacy that has spread in Hollywood and “Brüno” is one of its many victims.

Rating: 2.0/5.0

Some making and marketing comedies believe that shocking their audience is an edgy and guaranteed formula for laughter. For the greater part of films like “Brüno,” however, the audience feels only disgust. Far from amused, several leave before the film has concluded.

Read Elizabeth Oppriecht’s full review of “Brüno” in our reviews section.

Attempting to match the cinematic success of 2006’s “Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan,” “Brüno” follows much the same format. This time we have an Austrian-import title character traveling with his assistant’s assistant, Lutz (Gustaf Hammatsten).

Just as Borat did in 2006, Brüno meets with politicians, celebrities and members of the global community for his own special brand of interview. However, Borat struck a responsive chord because of the innocence and humanity of the character.

We empathized with him and enjoyed laughing (for the most part) at his supposed naiveté. Baron Cohen’s Brüno proves to be nothing more than a self-absorbed histrionic character who is constantly foul just for foul’s sake. For Brüno, emotional depth is a faux accessory worn as low as his Dolce & Gabbana belt.

“Brüno” stars Sacha Baron Cohen, Gustaf Hammarsten, Clifford Bañagale, Chibundu Orukwowu, Josh Meyers, Bono, Chris Martin, Elton John and Slash. The film, which opened on July 10, 2009, is rated “R” for pervasive strong and crude sexual content, graphic nudity and language. “Brüno” has a running time of 83 minutes.

Read Elizabeth Oppriecht’s full review of “Brüno” in our reviews section.

The comedy “Brüno” from Universal Pictures is Sacha Baron Cohen’s follow up to “Borat”.
Photo credit: Frank Ockenfels, Universal Pictures

Read Elizabeth Oppriecht’s full review of “Brüno” in our reviews section.

Blu-Ray Review: ‘Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa’ Continues DreamWorks Blu-Ray Dominance

BrianTT — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 09:26:49 -0700

Blu-Ray Rating: 4.0/5.0

CHICAGO – The DreamWorks Blu-Ray releases for “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” “Kung Fu Panda,” and “Transformers” are some of the most technically remarkable titles on the next-gen format and you can now add “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa” to the list of Blu-Ray discs that you can use to show off your HD TV and surround sound system. The movie is far from great, but the Blu-Ray is one of the best of the year to date.

The Blu-Ray menu for “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa” features King Julien (Sacha Baron Cohen) singing “Move It, Move It” while the four lead characters spastically dance. If you tap your feet or smile, “Escape 2 Africa” is the movie for you. If the song makes you want to shoot your television, then you’re not ready for this over-the-top, shticky comedy that often feels like a bit “2 much 2 take”.

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa was released by DreamWorks Home Video on February 6th, 2009.
Photo credit: DreamWorks

Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, Sacha Baron Cohen, Cedric the Entertainer, and Andy Richter return in “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa,” joined by Alec Baldwin, will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas, Bernie Mac and Sherri Shepherd.

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa was released by DreamWorks Home Video on February 6th, 2009.
Photo credit: DreamWorks

The four characters from the original “Madagascar” - Alex the lion, Marty the zebra, Gloria the hippo, and Melman the giraffe - are getting ready to return to Manhattan in a rickety plane piloted by the quartet of inventive penguins when they crash land in the African savannah.

The group happens to land in the backyard of Alex’s long lost parents (Bernie Mac and Sherri Shepherd) and is forced to deal with life in the wild. Meanwhile, Marty has an identity crisis when he finds a herd of his wild brethren and Gloria enters into an unusual love triangle with the long-enamored Melman and a new hippo Casanova (will.i,am). Of course, King Julien (Sacha Baron Cohen) and every other character from the first film has a few scenes as well.

Great animated sequels like “Toy Story 2” take themes from the original and make them deeper, exploring the ideas instead of just repeating the same jokes. It feels like the creative impetus behind “Escape 2 Africa” was to take everything that worked from the first film and pound it into your head like a kid with a mallet. Kids will be drawn in by the pretty pictures and the excellent voice work, but parents are likely to think that it’s all 2 much.

Even though “Escape 2 Africa” may be a two-star film, it’s a four-star Blu-Ray. The video transfer is stunning. CGI animated films usually look good in 1080P, but “Madagascar 2” looks even richer than a lot of its peers. The video is flawless and the audio tracks - English 5.1 Dolby True HD, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital - are perfectly mixed. The technical presentation is so remarkable that it honestly made me like the film more. That’s an accomplishment.

The special features are just as remarkable with a dense, interesting variety of extras that has something for each member of the family. People interested in the making of “Escape 2 Africa” will love the “Animator’s Corner,” which allows viewers to watch the filmmakers’ commentary and see early animatics, actors recording their voice work, and more behind-the-scenes material as the movie plays.

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa was released by DreamWorks Home Video on February 6th, 2009.
Photo credit: DreamWorks

Parents and adult fans will burn through the behind-the-scenes featurettes, all presented in HD, including “It’s a Family Affair: The Cast of Escape 2 Africa,” “The Making of Escape 2 Africa,” “Crash Landing,” and “African Adventure”.

“Jambo Jambo: Swahili Speak” is a brief lesson about the language of Swahili. Ninakupenda means “I Love You”. Never say we didn’t try to teach you anything in our Blu-Ray reviews. “The Bronx Zoo: Madagascar” looks at an actual exhibit at the New York zoo.

The real draw, especially for the kids, will be the two new penguin short films - “Popcorn Panic” and “Gone in a Flash”. The first is a 12-minute comedy in which the penguins try to stop a zookeeper from snapping down on zoo patrons feeding the animals. They like their popcorn. This silly little short is for the kids only. “Gone in a Flash” runs the same time and features another adventures with the penguins and King Julien. Once again, little ones will smile, adults will probably be bored.

The rest of the bonus features for “Madagascar 2,” excluding the easter eggs, are of the musical variety. Kids can bounce to short videos for each of the songs from the movie and then enter the DreamWorks Animation jukebox and watch fifteen minutes of musical clips from several of the studio’s films.

“Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa” is another case of a better Blu-Ray release than the movie itself. DreamWorks has done everything they to do with this title including a perfect video/audio transfer and features for both kids and adults.

‘Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa’ is released by DreamWorks Home Video and stars Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Jada Pinkett Smith, David Schwimmer, Bernie Mac, Alec Baldwin, will.i.am, Sacha Baron Cohen, Andy Richter, and Sherri Shepherd. It was written by Etan Cohen and directed by Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath. It was released on February 6th, 2009.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

‘Sweeny Todd’ Won’t Show in 49 Theaters in Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio, North Dakota, Iowa

HollywoodChicago.com — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 17:02:59 -0700

If you live in Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio, North Dakota or Iowa, you won’t be able to pay to see Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman and Sacha Baron Cohen in “Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” at your local Marcus Theatres cinema.

Johnny Depp and Alan Rickman in “Sweeny
Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”.
Photo credit: IMDb
In a bizarre turn of events, Marcus Theaters – the seventh-largest circuit in the U.S.– on Tuesday told Paramount Pictures it won’t book the film in any of its 49 theaters because the studio’s asking price is too high, according to Variety. Variety also reported:

It’s rare for an exhibitor and studio to end up in such a situation.

“Unfortunately, as a result of the negotiations with Paramount reaching an impasse, Marcus Theatres will not be showing ‘Sweeny Todd’ in any of its locations,” Marcus prexy Bruce J. Olson said in a statement.

Olson added: “This decision was reluctantly reached because the price requested by Paramount to show the film in Marcus Theatres was too expensive in the opinion of our film buyers.”

A spokesman for Marcus Theatres said he believes the move marks the first time the circuit has decided not to show a movie because of a studio’s asking price. Marcus declined to say how much of a split [Paramount] sought.

Generally speaking, the split is higher in favor of the studio at the beginning of a movie’s run.

Paramount has planned to release “Sweeny Todd” in about 1,200 theaters nationwide. The film opens on Friday.

Might ‘Sweeny Todd’ Take Cake For Biggest ‘Bait-and-Switch Scheme’ in Movie History?

HollywoodChicago.com — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 13:39:22 -0700

As “Sweeney Todd” continues to capture all sorts of different kinds of buzz, one that particularly caught my eye on Monday came from the pen of Chicago Sun-Times reporter Lewis Lazare.

Johnny Depp and Alan Rickman in “Sweeny
Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”.
Photo credit: IMDb
He asks if its marketing will give patrons a haircut and says unsuspecting fans might sing another tune. Plus, the best line of all:

From what we know about the movie from its marketing strategy to date and from a small body of critics and VIPs who have seen the film (we have not), this “Sweeney Todd” also might be remembered for being the subject of one of the biggest bait-and-switch marketing schemes in movie history.

[This] bait and switch … became an imperative to ensure the film generates an opening weekend box-office figure substantial enough to suggest “blockbuster” to the moviegoing public.

Lazare is ultimately questioning if the film’s actually for “slasher fans” or if it screams “Sondheim musical”.

Tim Burton’s film – starring Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman and Sacha Baron Cohen – is based on composer Stephen Sondheim’s stage musical from three decades ago.

Its marketing, though, has shifted from deliberately targeting its musical side and separately honing in specifically on its throat slitting. Lazare wrote:

Sondheim’s original Broadway score in almost its entirety is said to be included in the Burton movie. In fact, reports indicate that about 90 percent of the movie is comprised of sung scenes.

But curiously, you’d never know that to be the case from watching the 150-second trailer, which makes the movie seem like a fast-paced bloody period thriller/horror flick about a crazed murderer and his sidekick.

The full Chicago Sun-Times story can be found here. “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” opens on Dec. 21.