Well does anyone need any introduction to Bruno? Not really. But anyway, for those that aren’t in the know, he’s new character from Sacha Baron Cohen and following in the footsteps of his other creations Ali G and Borat.

And really? How do you follow Borat, what with all its Pamela-Anderson- in-a-sack madness. Well it turns out quite easily.  Granted Borat is probably funnier, but Bruno has just got to be seen to be believed and some of the scenes are simply inspired. And granted some of them may seem a bit staged, and probably are, but don’t let that detract from the enjoyment. After all, its nothing new that scripted comedy can be funny.

The plot, for want of a better word, follows ’19 year-old’ fashion reporter Bruno as he is fired from his ultra hip TV show Funkyzeit due to a fashion related mishap. Left in the lurch he comes up with a plan that will reclaim his glory. The plan? Well heading to America and becoming a celebrity of course.

It is in his journey through America that Cohen begins to dissect and ridicule the world’s prejudices towards homosexuality, and a myriad of other issues.  Cohen’s intelligence is unsurpassable and he manages to pry comments from the most ridiculous bigots to walk the earth.  I don’t want to give too much away as it is often the shock of what you see that makes it hilarious. That’s not to say that this is a comedy that relies on shocks to get its laughs, it’s not. The laughs come from Cohen’s perfectly constructed setups involving his subjects. One such encounter is when we meet a group of parents whose children are models. It’s funny, but very tragic. Tragic in the sense that it gives you a glimpse into a world that in reality isn’t that funny at all.

Go along and expect one hell of a ride. Forget about plot, but I will say this, in terms of shock value this easily beats Borat’s naked wrestling or indeed Pamela Anderson’s bagging. Okay it is a bit similar to Borat in terms of structure, but one of the UK’s finest satirists is at work here, and it’s a joy to behold. And just as a warning, you may not look at a champagne bottle in the same way again.