After getting fired from his television hosting gig, fashionista Brüno (Sacha Baron Cohen) heads to the United States to, in his words, “become the biggest Austrian celebrity since Hitler.” The sexually demonstrative fame whore does everything he can think of the make this dream of superstardom come to pass, all those standing in his way nothing more than fodder for his peculiar sensibilities.

Sacha Baron Cohen in Universal Pictures' Brüno

Using the same shooting style and techniques as their prior worldwide hit Borat, director Larry Charles and co-writer/star Cohen once again unleash their own unique form of comedy with their latest effort Brüno. Like that previous film, this one is also based on a character from “Da Ali G Show.” Unlike that prior smash, this one doesn’t work near as well, the social commentary and humor never rising to anywhere near the same levels.

The problem is that characters themselves. Where it made sense for Borat Sagdiyev to be so culturally clueless and thus easier for him to get honest responses from the Middle America rubes reacting to him, Brüno’s so self-aware and pop culture knowledgeable his in-your-face tactics don’t feel genuine. Because of this, I had trouble with the majority of the responses he garnered from all those he interacts with.

It’s hard to clearly explain exactly what I mean by that statement. Yes, much of the venom sent the character’s way reeks of pent up homophobia and puritanical insensitivity. The question is whether or not these outbursts would be the same whether these people were faced like a person like Brüno or not. The man is so in your face, so belligerent with his antics it is almost as if he is forcing the hand of those around him, that I felt like he was setting his targets up. He basically forces them to have reactions that support his thesis, his grotesque behavior sending them so far over the edge their hateful bile is almost warranted.

It isn’t, of course, and while I’m sure that is the point of Cohen and Charles’ picture that doesn’t mean it is either humorous or insightful. They pound their targets into the pavement, hitting them over and over with Brüno’s abhorrent behavior to the point the film almost starts supporting the very kind of belligerence it supposedly wants to thrust into the spotlight. In other words, it becomes the very thing it is trying to combat, and I imagine any gay, lesbian or transgender individual watching it is going to feel more than bit belittled and used as punching bag.

Listen, I’m all for making self righteous Republicans like from Presidential candidate Ron Paul look like fools, but when the hotel room situation you put them in would make an openly gay politician like Barney Frank just as violently furious than I have to wonder what’s the point? Same goes for going naked from tent to tent in the middle of the night during a camping trip, and while the insults thrown Brüno’s way are decidedly unforgivable if he’d been out there soliciting a group of similarly macho LGBT hunters I bet their reactions wouldn’t be all that different.

There are instances where the film works. Brüno’s visits to pastors specializing in helping gay people become straight are both hilarious and insightful, the hypocrisy dripping from their lips like a melting chocolate bar. A brief encounter with Harrison Ford is pretty close to brilliant, while the opening bit at designer Agatha Ruiz De La Prada’s fashion show is both thought provoking in how it analyzes our consumer culture as well as being downright hilarious.

I’m happy Cohen and Charles feel the need to push boundaries and I’m glad they want to coerce people to think about facets of themselves in ways they haven’t before. I’m even happier that they’re doing it in a way that is supposed to make us laugh so hard we have popcorn spurting straight out of our nostrils. More than all of that, however, I’m ecstatic about the fact that they are completely unafraid to offend, forcing viewers to cringe into the arms of their seats even as they can’t tear their eyes away from the screen.

It just didn’t work for me this time out is all. The entire focus of the piece just felt wrong and I never thought I was gaining any perceptive insights worthy of all the fuss. More than that, I just didn’t find the majority of it funny, and while the bar was certainly pushed that alone doesn’t make this the season’s must-have cinematic accessory. To paraphrase Heidi Klum, one day you’re in, the other you’re out. I’ll let you guess which one of those two categories I think Brüno belongs in.