Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Bruno (movie review)

As with Borat, the comic index of this film depends a lot on the viewer's assumptions about how scripted it is, i.e. which characters know this is a spoof and which do not?

The DVD version, which my daughter inherited from somewhere, has the movie with commentary, and that clears up some questions.

However, given Sasha is good at fooling people, how much of the commentary are we to believe in turn? Was Harrison Ford really "in on it"? Perhaps not.

I'm reminded of Werner Herzog's commentary regarding the filming of Fitzcarraldo. I took that as a spoof as well, in cahoots with his cast, the film savvy, Mick Jagger, Jason Robard and friends.

I viewed Bruno (twice, once with commentary) with a gay rights activist and community organizer, who thought, as I do, that Sasha is brilliantly brave, and knows how to do poignant social commentary.

Borat, Bruno and Ali G represent a new form of cultural anthropology, wherein the anthropologist learns enough about a culture to offend, enrage, excite and otherwise perturb it.

This is the opposite of trying to stay out of the limelight while taking notes.

I found myself reminiscing about Team America: World Police after it was over, a likewise penetrating spelunking exercise within the collective unconscious. Talk about "special operations"!