P.T.A. Marathon

Look out for my Paul Thomas Anderson marathon reviews. P.T.A. is one of my favorite directors working today. From his debut in 1996 with Hard Eight starring John C. Rielly  he has gone on to make a small but strong catalog of memorable films that include Boogie Nights (1997), Magnolia (1999), Punch-Drunk Love (2002) and his latest achievement There will be blood (2007). If you haven't seen any of these flicks you need to check them out...and I will tell you exactly why in the days to come!

Copy and paste this link ---->   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RD7i3hWM6FU

"Looking at all the stars in the sky makes me think of all the hot guys in the world". -Bruno

Bruno has it all…moments of genius along with moments of penis. Yes, I said penis. And if you go see Bruno get ready for some penis. Not to say the entire 82 minutes revolves around penis…. sometimes the penis just revolves. 

For those of you who aren’t up to speed on the highbrow/lowbrow humor of Bruno, he is super gay. And if you don’t believe me go look at the official Bruno Wikipedia page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruno_(character).  Bruno is the fictional character invented by comedian Sacha Baron Cohen. The Austrian fashion guru Bruno is on a mission to be famous. He will do anything to make his mark in Hollywood. It’s no surprise that he exposes others who have a similar agenda while reaching for his goal. God help those children.

 I didn’t find this movie as engaging as his previous ‘mockumentary” Borat but it’s definitely something we should all experience. While the flimsy story line causes it to feel more like an MTV sketch comedy show than a movie it shouldn’t matter too much given the material, no one was setting out to make Citizen Kane. 

I was shocked and horrified at almost all the situations that Bruno managed to cook up with some moments that really make you down right uncomfortable. Moments that present Bruno in Boot camp and on daytime television talk shows are funny but you know they are spoofs, put on’s, and the people involved are feeding off each others energy.  It’s the moments when it’s just him and an unsuspecting interviewee that are the best. These people can do or say anything. They can decline to comment or take the high road but never do and that’s when things become interesting. After a long speech from an Alabamian “gay converter” Bruno casually asks, “Are you coming on to me”? I lost it. 

Some will get it and take it for what it is while others will hate it and reject it as lowbrow bathroom humor, but Bruno, for what it’s worth is funny, thought provoking, eye opening, and racy. What more can you ask for?

My Vote: See this with some friends who like to talk about a movie afterwards and aren’t afraid of stationary bikes with dildos fixed to them. : \

Here is a funny link http://www.thebrunomovie.com/bruno-movie/bruno-dictionary-discover-brunoisms/

And be sure to check out The Birdcage (Mike Nichols, 1996) below.

The Birdcage

While thinking about Bruno and the controversy revolving around it I started to think about other mainstream movies that revolve around gay characters. If you haven’t seen The Birdcage you are missing out. The plot revolves around the son of homosexual Dad’s who own a South Beach drag club marrying the daughter of a conservative Republican Senator from Ohio. Let the hilarity begin. This movie has an all-star cast of Robin Williams, Nathan Lane, Gene Hackman, Dianne Wiest, Calista Flockhart and Hank Azaria that comes together to turn in fun and memorable performances and hey, Mike Nichols isn’t too bad behind a camera. Check this flick out!