‘Match Point’ Download and Reviews

December 26, 2009 by Paul Wall  
Filed under Crime, Drama, Romance

“Match Point” Movie Details

Match Point tagline: Passion Temptation Obsession
Match Point - DVD Cover

Match Point DVD Cover

Actors:
  • John Fortune
  • Jonathan Rhys-Meyers Chris Wilton
    Alexander Armstrong Mr. Townsend
    Paul Kaye Estate Agent
    Matthew Goode Tom Hewett
    Brian Cox Alec Hewett
    Penelope Wilton Eleanor Hewett
    Emily Mortimer Chloe Hewett Wilton
    Janis Kelly ‘La Traviata’ Performer
    Alan Oke ‘La Traviata’ Performer
    Mark Gatiss Ping-Pong Player
    Scarlett Johansson Nola Rice
    Simon Kunz Rod Carver
    Geoffrey Streatfield Alan Sinclair
    Mary Hegarty ‘Rigoletto’ Performer
    John the Chauffeur
    Directors: Woody Allen IMDB Rating: 7.8/10 out of 61,087 votes

    “Match Point” Movie Review

    “Match Point” Plot Summary

    At a turning point in his life, a former tennis pro falls for a femme-fatal type who happens to be dating his friend and soon-to-be brother-in-law. add synopsis

    The Talented Mr. Allen: Woody’s best film since ‘Crimes & Misdemeanors’

    MATCH POINT (2005) ***1/2 Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Scarlett Johansson, Emily Mortimer, Matthew Goode, Brian Cox, Penelope Wilton, Margaret Tyzack, Ewen Bremner, James Nesbitt. The Talented Mr. Allen: Woody’s best film since ‘Crimes & Misdemeanors’Woody Allen has been a respected filmmaker for over thirty years and in recent memory has been in something of a slump with his trademark New York neurotic comedies of late and it has been well over a decade since he attempted anything resembling a drama (his last was a combination of comedy/ drama for his masterpiece ‘Crimes & Misdemeanors’ in 1989) and in his latest stab at it comes through remarkably with his best film in sometime

    Jettisoning his usual choice of his beloved Manhattan The Woodman jaunts across The Big Pond and sets his story in London (not the first European adventure mind you – he did go to Paris for ‘Everyone Says I Love You’) with the plot focusing on a borderline callow young tennis player cum pro, Chris Wilton (Rhys-Meyers giving Jude Law a run for the money as sexiest Brit on screen) whose philosophy for life is being lucky rather than being good or great at something. This proves to be his one flaw as he obtains a job as an instructor for a supremely private resort club where he befriends one of his charges, Tom Hewett (Goode), whose shared love for opera has him inviting the unassuming Chris to a performance where his family has a box seat reserved. Here he meets the rest of Tom’s family: respected businessman Alec (the ubiquitous Cox), tipsy mum Eleanor (Wilton) and engaging sister Chloe (the wonderfully sublime Mortimer) who falls deeply head over heels in love with Chris almost immediately. Chris too finds himself in love with Chloe and before you know it is taken in by the wealthy clan as one of the family

    As the story progresses Chris finds this sudden shift in his life moving along nicely and to his agreement accruing a position in one of Alec’s many business ventures as an apprentice seller and weekends at the sprawling estate of the Hewetts. It is there he also meets Tom’s gorgeous American fiancee, Nola Rice (Johansson giving one of her better performances to date), a fledgling actress who beguiles Chris immediately and he is smitten by her, intoxicated by her very presence that the two wind up in a countryside embrace leading to a moment of unbridled passion. While Nola makes light of giving in to their primal desires as a lack of clarity on her behalf, Chris cannot get enough of her; Nola explains this desire is temporary and that she is getting married to Tom; end of story

    Chris tries to do what’s right and eventually marries the unsuspecting Chloe and absorbs himself in work until one day while playing a set with Tom he is informed that Tom has dumped Nola and is in love with another unknown woman. The fire is re-ignited in Chris’ soul and the determination heightened as he becomes infatuated in finding Nola again to seduce her once and for all. Allen allows his talented class plenty of room to act up a storm but not overact the seemingly straight-forward melodrama at hand but what makes it rise above the norm is the way his leads make their seemingly unsympathetic characters empathetic. Rhys-Meyers remains cool as a cucumber until the predictable complication ensures his affair with Johansson will lead to an unlikely scenario that borders ridiculous mystery theater affair however maintains a balance of dread in when the couple will come to a head. Johansson mixes the smoky cadence of her Kathleen Turner-like vocals into a come-hither-insouciance not before experienced and has the tricky task of making her Nola’s head case come to fruition with believability; she succeeds succinctly

    Allen’s screenplay is literate, clever and crafty and at once familiar with a few of his trademark quips tossed in with elan that his upper crust characters make the most of what they can with a dry bright witticism here and there. The storyline flows evenly amidst its choppy third act that feels a tad rushed yet when the darkness comes it echoes ‘The Talented Mr. Ripley’ which it has a lot in common with but never trespasses entirely. This is Allen’s most adult film in sometime and not to besmirch it perhaps his most challenging one to date. Thank God Woody is back in fine form, not unlike an old tennis pro on the senior’s tour with a wicked backhand.

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    ‘I’m Not There’ Download and Reviews

    December 1, 2009 by Paul Wall  
    Filed under Biography, Drama, Music

    “I’m Not There” Movie Details

    I’m Not There tagline: All I Can Do Is Be Me Whoever That Is
    I'm Not There - DVD Cover

    I'm Not There DVD Cover

    Actors:
    Cate Blanchett Jude Quinn
    Ben Whishaw Arthur Rimbaud
    Christian Bale Jack Rollins/Pastor John
    Richard Gere Billy the Kid
    Marcus Carl Franklin Woody Guthrie
    Heath Ledger Robbie Clark
    Kris Kristofferson Narrator
    Don Francks Hobo Joe
    Roc LaFortune Hobo Moe
    Larry Day Government Agent
    Paul Cagelet Carny
    Pierre-Alexandre Fortin Gorgeous George
    Richie Havens Old Man Arvin
    Tyrone Benskin Mr. Arvin
    Kim Roberts Mrs. Arvin
    Directors: Todd Haynes
    IMDB Rating: 7.1/10 out of 21,263 votes

    “I’m Not There” Movie Review

    “I’m Not There” Plot Summary

    Ruminations on the life of Bob Dylan, where six characters embody a different aspect of the musician’s life and work.

    Beautiful, Unique & Full of Life

    Todd Haynes (‘Velvet Goldmine’, ‘Far from Heaven’) created a non-linear, truly original film, that must be seen by every Bob Dylan lover. Haynes’s tapestry is ‘inspired by the music and lives of Bob Dylan’ – he introduces us to 6 different Dylans: Jack Rollins (Christian Bale), Woody Guthrie (Marcus Carl Franklin), Jude Quinn (Cate Blanchett), Robbie Clark (Heath Ledger), Billy the Kid (Richard Gere) and Arthur Rimbaud (Ben Whishaw), interweaving their stories in a groundbreaking narrative slightly similar to Todd Solondz’s unsettling, caustic ‘Palindromes’ (2004), in which several very different actresses (and a boy) play a 13 year-old pregnant girl. While ‘Across the Universe’ illustrated The Beatles’ fantastic songs with simple, adorable characters in a psychedelic rhythm, but with little character development (not that I’m complaining: I absolutely love to see visual masters like Baz Luhrmann or Julie Taymor on fire, since their self-indulgence creates wonderful sensorial pieces), ‘I’m Not There’ is much more complex: it’s deeper than conventional biopics (‘Ray’, ‘Walk the Line’), and much smarter than exploitative flicks (the atrocious ‘Factory Girl’). Haynes crafted a unique film that’s a feast for the eyes (thanks to cinematographer Ed Lachman, ‘The Virgin Suicides’, who also co-directed the disgusting ‘Ken Park’ with Larry Clark), ears (Dylan’s music is always a pie in the sky) and mind (it’ll make you admire the man even more, and it doesn’t even need to be an ass-kissing biopic to succeed on that). The cast is heterogeneous and solid, but I think critics are overrating Cate Blanchett for the sheer fact that she’s playing a man (which makes things more challenging for her, indeed), when she’s not really better than most of the cast; a good performance for sure, but I was much more impressed by Christian Bale and the young revelation Marcus Carl Franklin. Julianne Moore, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Michelle Williams play some important women from Dylan’s life, and the always underrated Bruce Greenwood has a small but interesting part. All in all, this isn’t a film that will enjoy big commercial success, and it’s probably too artsy (although, not in a bad way) to get the Academy’s top prize (even though Blanchett’s performance and, maybe, Haynes’s magnificent directing/writing, will probably be remembered), but it’s a real gem for those who want to see something really exciting and original. As for myself, I’m thankful to Haynes and his audacious, faithful producer Christine Vachon (this woman rocks, and in a perfect world, she’d have all the money that a certain Jerry Bruckheimer possesses), who always dare to blow us away – something rare, these days. Fascinating. 10/10.

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    ‘Edward Scissorhands’ Download and Reviews

    December 1, 2009 by Paul Wall  
    Filed under Comedy, Drama, Fantasy

    “Edward Scissorhands” Movie Details

    Edward Scissorhands tagline: His scars run deep.
    Edward Scissorhands - DVD Cover

    Edward Scissorhands DVD Cover

    Actors:
  • John Davidson
  • Johnny Depp Edward Scissorhands
    Winona Ryder Kim
    Dianne Wiest Peg
    Anthony Michael Hall Jim
    Kathy Baker Joyce
    Robert Oliveri Kevin
    Conchata Ferrell Helen
    Caroline Aaron Marge
    Dick Anthony Williams Officer Allen
    O-Lan Jones Esmeralda
    Vincent Price The Inventor
    Alan Arkin Bill
    Susan Blommaert Tinka
    Linda Perri Cissy
    Host-TV
    Directors: Tim Burton IMDB Rating: 8.0/10 out of 93,822 votes

    “Edward Scissorhands” Movie Review

    “Edward Scissorhands” Plot Summary

    An uncommonly gentle young man, who happens to have scissors for hands, falls in love with a beautiful teenage girl.

    A must-see movie that you must see over and over again!

    Edward Scissorhands is heart-warming, poetic, tragic, and comedic. An all-in-one movie. The story about a half-made man named Edward, who has the misfortune of having scissors for hands, (Johnny Depp) is one of those rare creatures who’s soul is bigger than his heart. His outward appearance (the black and white face, the hands) is out of place in the colorful suburban neighborhood he was brought into, but so is his innocence, vulnerability, and compassion. Depp’s performance as Edward is one of his most original yet! It’s not just the character, its the background of the movie that makes it good also. THe underscore is haunting, and beautiful, it can alone bring tears to your eyes. The makeup is outstanding, and the way the camera captures the character’s emotion and state of being is just breathtaking. And of course, without the help of Tim Burton’s Gothic style, the movie wouldn’t have the same effect

    Kim Boggs (Winona Ryder) falls in love with this man, and their tragic romeo and juliet based romance makes the audience long for them to be together. You hate Jim (Anthony Michael Hall) for breaking them apart, and the rest of the community for that matter! All in all, the mixture of music, talent, and story plot make the movie a must-see that you must see over and over again! I give it a 9 out of 10

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    ‘Paycheck’ Download and Reviews

    November 27, 2009 by Paul Wall  
    Filed under Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller

    “Paycheck” Movie Details

    Paycheck tagline: Remember the future.
    Paycheck - DVD Cover

    Paycheck DVD Cover

    Actors:
  • Michelle Harrison
  • Ben Affleck Michael Jennings
    Aaron Eckhart James Rethrick
    Uma Thurman Dr. Rachel Porter
    Paul Giamatti Shorty
    Colm Feore John Wolfe
    Joe Morton Agent Dodge
    Michael C. Hall Agent Klein
    Peter Friedman Atty. Gen. Brown
    Kathryn Morris Rita Dunne
    Ivana Milicevic Maya-Rachel
    Christopher Kennedy Stevens
    Fulvio Cecere Agent Fuman
    John Cassini Agent Mitchell
    Callum Keith Rennie Jude, Guard
    Jane
    Directors: John Woo IMDB Rating: 6.1/10 out of 33,694 votes

    “Paycheck” Movie Review

    “Paycheck” Plot Summary

    What seemed like a breezy idea for an engineer to net him millions of dollars, leaves him on the run for his life and piecing together why he’s being chased.

    I liked it! A clever Sci-Fi thriller.

    When I watch a movie like this, I don’t expect for anything to be ‘plausible’, because nothing is plausible in this type of Sc-Fi story. So I just check my ‘logic’ in the coat room and just sit back and, hopefully, enjoy. I enjoyed Ben Affleck as Michael Jennings, super smart ‘reverse engineer’ who can take apart and analyze a new, complicated contraption, and give plans to his employer to make their own, and go one or two steps better. For this he gets paid very well, and has the only additional requirement that he forget everything. And he does, they always see to that. The movie starts with one such job, just to establish the playing field, then the movie starts in earnest when his old friend, James (Aaron Eckhart), entices him to do a three year job that will get him a fee ‘in 8 figures.’ In the process he meets and flirts with pretty, smart Biologist Dr. Rachel Porter (Uma Thurman). Paul Giamatti has a nice role as his friend, Shorty

    Almost 2 hours, it held my interest all the way

    SPOILERS. Michael’s old friend James is up to no good. The project is a special ‘lens’ and computer system that can see in circular space, warping back on itself so that one can ’see’ into the future. We only are shown the beginning and end of the 3 years, nothing in between, except for some flashbacks later. His memory is erased, but when he goes to the bank to access his $90+ Million, he is told that he signed it away, and his package of personal effects don’t look familiar to him. Cut to the core story, as he was completing the project, he took a look into his future and saw he was to be killed by a bullet at the work site. So, knowing his memory would be erased, he sent a package to himself, with a number of seemingly unrelated items — a bullet, a bus pass, a BMW key, a fortune with a set of lottery numbers, etc. He was smart enough to realize these would be the key items to get him to change the future, stay alive, and avoid the destruction of the world. To do all that he had to get back in and destroy the computer, which he later found he had the wisdom earlier to put a bug into. And, in the end he gets the girl!

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    ‘Die Hard: With a Vengeance’ Download and Reviews

    October 7, 2009 by Paul Wall  
    Filed under Action, Crime, Thriller

    “Die Hard: With a Vengeance” Movie Details

    Die Hard: With a Vengeance tagline: Think fast. Look alive. Die hard.
    Die Hard 3 - DVD Cover

    Die Hard: With a Vengeance DVD Cover

    Actors:
    Bruce Willis John McClane
    Jeremy Irons Simon Gruber
    Samuel L. Jackson Zeus Carver
    Graham Greene Joe Lambert
    Colleen Camp Connie Kowalski
    Larry Bryggman Insp. Walter Cobb
    Anthony Peck Ricky Walsh
    Nicholas Wyman Mathias Targo
    Sam Phillips Katya
    Kevin Chamberlin Charles Weiss
    Sharon Washington Officer Jane
    Stephen Pearlman Dr. Fred Schiller
    Michael Alexander Jackson Dexter
    Aldis Hodge Raymond
    Mischa Hausserman Mischa
    Directors: John McTiernan
    IMDB Rating: 7.4/10 out of 80,317 votes

    “Die Hard: With a Vengeance” Movie Review

    “Die Hard 3″ Plot Summary

    John McClane and a store owner must play a bomber’s deadly game as they race around New York while trying to stop him.

    The best of the quadrilogy

    Man, I was watching this movie the other day and I can’t believe how good this movie is. Even though I liked Die Harder, it lacked the brains of its predecessor. John McTiernan returned to give us an action flick that not only delivers as an action flick but is also quite effective as a thriller.

    Simon Peter Gruber(Jeremy Irons) is the brother of Hans Gruber who was killed by McClane in the Nakatomi Plaza. He detonates a few bombs in New York City and sends McClane on ‘Fools Errands’ while covering up his real scheme: to steal gold reserves. McClane is saved from an a**kicking by angry mob by Zeus Carver(Samuel L Jackson), a shop owner. They reluctantly team up to play along with Simon’s games. They later find out his big scheme all along.

    Samuel Jackson and Bruce Willis have excellent chemistry together. Plus you have to admire the match up. Zeus Carver has a nationalistic mentality and John McClane is your not-so-average white-bread cop. Despite their differences they still get together to handle the same goal.

    Jeremy Irons is magnificent as Simon Peter Gruber. He’s definitely one of the best movie villains in history. His plan showed a clever genius absent from movie villains nowadays. Quite possibly the last serious role that Jeremy Irons had. Tell the truth, can you look at him with a straight face after he starred in Dungeons and Dragons? I think not.

    I like the pacing of this movie too. It keeps you glued to the screen and provides a thrill ride from start to finish. Im kind of surprised that this movie didn’t do so well at the box office when everybody knows that its better than Die Hard 2. Plus this movie has lowest score of all Die Hard movies on Rottentomatoes. Shows you just how much these snooty consensus followers really know.

    If you’re looking for an action/thriller that doesn’t disappoint you cant go wrong with Die Hard With A Vengeance. It has great acting, a superb villain, a good plot and some engaging action sequences. More effective than what passes for Thriller these days and is easily the most underrated action sequel of all time.

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    ‘Rain Man’ Download and Reviews

    October 1, 2009 by Paul Wall  
    Filed under Drama

    “Rain Man” Movie Details

    Rain Man tagline:
    Rain Man - DVD Cover

    Rain Man DVD Cover

    Actors:
  • John-Michael Dougherty
  • Dustin Hoffman Raymond Babbitt
    Tom Cruise Charlie Babbitt
    Valeria Golino Susanna
    Gerald R. Molen Dr. Bruner
    Jack Murdock John Mooney
    Michael D. Roberts Vern
    Ralph Seymour Lenny
    Lucinda Jenney Iris
    Bonnie Hunt Sally Dibbs
    Kim Robillard Small Town Doctor
    Beth Grant Mother at Farm House
    Dolan Dougherty Farm House Kid
    Marshall Dougherty Farm House Kid
    Patrick Dougherty Farm House Kid
    Farm House Kid
    Directors: Barry Levinson IMDB Rating: 8.0/10 out of 96,309 votes

    “Rain Man” Movie Review

    “Rain Man” Plot Summary

    Selfish yuppie Charlie Babbitt’s father left a fortune to his savant brother Raymond and a pittance to Charlie; they travel cross-country.

    A good drama that gives an idea of what living with an autistic person must be like

    It’s not very difficult to see why this movie won four Oscars and was nominated for four more. The academy loves movies about people with difficult lives or with a handicap. Sometimes it almost feels like they are desperate to show that they too have a heart and so a director who hasn’t won anything so far just has to make a movie with such a subject and he can be sure that he will hit the jackpot. Does that also mean that those movies are always excellent? No, although I wish they were. But it has to be said, not all of those movies are bad either, take for instance this ‘Rain Man’. That’s certainly a movie that deserves a closer watch

    When the selfish yuppie Charlie Babbitt hears that his father has left behind a fortune after his death, but that he won’t get it, he is furious. He has never had a good relationship with his father, who threw him out as a teenager, but he sure hoped for more than a now antique convertible. And to make things worse for Charlie, he hears that all the money goes to Raymond, an autistic man who he has never seen before in his life, but who appears to be his brother. And if that shock isn’t yet big enough, the man also appears to be able to calculate complicated mathematical problems in his head with great speed and accuracy, but doesn’t even understand what money can be used for. Enraged by all this ‘injustice’, Charlie kidnaps Raymond from his residential home, but then finds out how difficult it is to live with a man who only can live with his fixed routines…This wouldn’t have been a typical eighties movie if there hadn’t been a selfish yuppie in it of course, but I must say that it didn’t bother me this time. The main reason for that is because it accentuates the contrast between the two men even more. Charlie has nothing else but money on his mind, while Raymond doesn’t even know what money is. That’s without any doubt a very smart idea which makes this movie work. And that’s not the only good thing about this movie. The acting for instance is also very good. Especially Dustin Hoffman is excellent, but that has of course much to do with the role that he is playing. Still, his performance is very believable and remarkable. And even though I’m not a huge Tom Cruise fan, I must say that he was really very good in this movie. The role he was playing seemed to be written for him

    All in all this is a very good movie that sure deserves to be seen. The acting and the story are far above average and give a good idea of what it must be like to live with an autistic person. I’m convinced that this movie certainly doesn’t deserve a rating lower than 7.5/10.

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    ‘Dead Man’ Download and Reviews

    September 15, 2009 by Paul Wall  
    Filed under Drama, Fantasy, Western

    “Dead Man” Movie Details

    Dead Man tagline: No one can survive becoming a legend.
    Dead Man - DVD Cover

    Dead Man DVD Cover

    Actors:
  • Eugene Byrd
  • Billy Bob Thornton
    Iggy Pop
    Johnny Depp William Blake
    Crispin Glover Train Fireman
    Gibby Haynes Man with Gun in Alley
    Richard Boes Man with Wrench
    George Duckworth Man at End of Street
    John Hurt John Scholfield
    John North Mr. Olafsen
    Robert Mitchum John Dickinson
    Mili Avital Thel Russell
    Peter Schrum Drunk
    Gabriel Byrne Charlie Dickinson
    Gary Farmer Nobody
    Lance Henriksen Cole Wilson
    Michael Wincott Conway Twill
    Johnny ‘The Kid’ Pickett
    Directors: Jim Jarmusch IMDB Rating: 7.7/10 out of 30,529 votes

    “Dead Man” Movie Review

    “Dead Man” Plot Summary

    On the run after murdering a man, accountant William Blake encounters a strange Indian named “Nobody” who prepares him for his journey into the spiritual world. add synopsis

    A perfect full stop to a great genre

    This is what I call ‘first class’. Music, picture, dialogues, atmosphere, the actors’ play I like it all. What I do no like is that at least one scene could be easily moved to ‘deleted scenes’ section, while all the deleted scenes should be put into the film. You don’t have to be a fortune-teller to understand what ‘one scene’ I mean

    It is always enjoyable when the film is opened wide for interpretations. This is the case. When does Blake die? Where is he travelling? Is it reality? Who is that cannibal? Why is he being hit by an arrow? Who is that ‘Nobody’? Where is Blake heading? Being myself a bit of a guitar player I really enjoy the score. It adds a lot to the freaky pace of the film and creates the bizarre atmosphere

    Great job, Mr Jim Jarmusch. But 9 out of 10 because of the existence of something extra and the absence of something vital and important. Thank you for attention.

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    ‘Bruno’ Download and Reviews

    September 2, 2009 by Paul Wall  
    Filed under Comedy

    “Bruno” Movie Details

    Bruno tagline: Borat was so 2006
    Bruno - DVD Cover

    Bruno DVD Cover

    Actors:
    Sacha Baron Cohen BrГјno
    Gustaf Hammarsten Lutz
    Clifford BaГ±agale Diesel
    Josh Meyers Kookus
    Robert Huerta Mexican Gardener #2
    Gilbert Rosales Mexican Gardener #3
    Thomas Rosales Jr. Mexican Gardener #4
    Marco Xavier Mexican Gardener #5
    Bono ‘Dove of Peace’
    Chris Martin ‘Dove of Peace’
    Elton John ‘Dove of Peace’
    Slash ‘Dove of Peace’
    Snoop Dogg ‘Dove of Peace’
    Sting ‘Dove of Peace’
    Richard Bey Himself
    Directors: Larry Charles
    IMDB Rating: 6.5/10 out of 48,397 votes

    “Bruno” Movie Review

    “Bruno” Plot Summary

    Flamboyant Austrian fashionista Bruno takes his show to America.

    Brilliant satire

    Satire has been defined as stretching a position to its logical conclusion in order to expose its absurdity, for example, Jonathan Swift suggesting that the starving Irish should show initiative by fattening up their children and selling them to well-to-do families as food. The brilliant satirist Sacha Baron Cohen in Larry Charles’ Bruno takes the story of a Gay Austrian fashionista seeking to become a celebrity in the U.S. and stretches it to its logical conclusion and then extends it – way beyond. It is often hard to tell if the film is an expose of the debasement of our culture or just another of example of it

    In the film, a sequel to the 2006 mega-hit Borat, Bruno comes to Los Angles to become host of his own A-List Celebrity Max Out after being fired from his job as a TV host of the Austrian show Funkyzeit and being ’schwartz-listed’. Needless to say, it maxes out after the first viewing thanks to an abortive interview with Paula Abdul and Harrison Ford. Not letting a temporary setback stand in his way, Bruno hires an assistant named Lutz (Gustaf Hammarsten), and travels far and wide in an elusive search for the American Dream known as fame and fortune. In his stunts and misadventures (mostly in the South and Southwest), he exposes the raw prejudices that exist against gays and the sickening cult of celebrity that grips us as a nation

    The funniest scenes are at a swinger’s party, on a Dallas talk show, at a gay ‘deprogramming’ session, during a visit to a psychic where Bruno mimes oral sex, and the spectacle of a drunken crowd stirred up by ’scared straight’ Bruno bashing gays in a fight-club arena. Seeking to become recognized world wide, Bruno travels to the Middle East to try and bring the Arabs and the Israeli’s together but confuses Hamas with Hummus and the only thing they can agree on is that it is good with pita bread. In another sequence, he goes to Africa to swap his iPod for a little black child named OJ which he uses to crash American talk shows. Baron Cohen, who wrote the script with Anthony Hines, Dan Mazer and Jeff Schaffer saves his heavy artillery for narrow mindedness of every stripe

    The film ridicules all it comes in contact with, sparing nothing and nobody – from exhibitionist gays to up-tight straights, to families who will starve their children for a modeling gig. Some sequences hit their targets, others do not. If you are looking for good taste, you will not find it here. While satire in film is not supposed to be a comfortable experience and is supposed to make you squirm and even at times hide your eyes, it is not supposed to make you want to walk out

    Bruno travels a thin line between what’s merely outlandish and what is revolting and its in your face shamelessness comes awfully close to defeating its own purpose. The fact that the Cambridge-educated Cohen is ultimately able to pull it off, however, and make it entertaining is a tribute to his courage and originality. While Bruno can be shocking and very disturbing, it is also a mirror for us to look at ourselves. Like the est training of the 1970s that was often confrontational, we may not like what we see but we can use it to grow from the experience.

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