Note: I caught this at a brewpub theater in Portland that also serves cajun tater tots so my review may be skewed by salty deliciousness washed down by malted barley goodness.

This film, while sometimes hilarious, does not provoke the same level of gasps and guffaws as BROAT did and I’ve been pondering “why” for the last few days. Is it because we’re all in on the joke now? Is it because it’s easier to laugh and also feel bad laughing at a good-natured bumbling foreigner (an archetype since the silent film era) than a ranting homosexual diva? Is it simply because Borat is a better character than Bruno?

I’m not sure, I suspect all of the above, but it’s been interesting talking to folk about the film. Almost everyone I’ve met has seen BORAT and can quote a favorite scene. Of those folk, most have not seen BRUNO and when pressed to answer “why” almost all of them said “I don’t want to see that.” When I press them even further (ex-girlfriends will now be able to spot the Tony tenacity that gets to the bottom of things) it’s clear that the film’s flagrant depictions of homosexuality made them incredibly uncomfortable. As far as I can tell, seeing two guys kiss (or more, as is the case with this film) is just too much for a lot of folk.

I am no cultural or economic theorist but I think at the very least that explains the film 80% box-office drop in its second week of release. For now, I’ll leave it at that.

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