^this a thousand times
Saw Brüno when it first came out, thought it was way too crude. Rewatched it recently and boy, was I in for a treat. Amazing movie, and just as smart as Borat. Cohen has a marvelous way of portraying his stupid characters in such a precise manner, meeting homophics/racists' exact image of what they are afraid of, before tearing the basis of their terrible views on social issues apart. It's smart, but it seems like it doesn't hit as hard with people as it should.
For example, the sex scene in the beginning is by far one of the most absurd and vulgar ones in the film. BUT, if you imagine a group of homophobic friends out on the town joking about how gays have sex in the weirdest and over-the-top ways, it's not too big of a stretch to assume you would hear something like "yeah, they probably pour champagne from their ass, since they love having huge objects inside the anus." He makes their prejudice come true in a very ironic way, but shows REAL heterosexual people doing sex-stuff most people will refrain from. He shows that the even societal angle on gay culture is forced and undeserved.
This is where Cohen's genius shines the most. He meets his characters' antipoles with their exact expectations, as it appears he is making fun of gays/foreigners, but he is really making fun of the conservative culture surrounding these social issues. That's why I find it kinda sad that he garnered so much criticism for allegedly being racist and/or insulting towards Kazakhstan and its population and culture, only to be "pardoned" because of the increasing tourist rate.
One of the most commonly misunderstood artists of today.
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