AltWeeklies Wire
Borat's mastermind takes a more conventional route in 'The Dictator'new
It was only a matter of time before Sacha Baron Cohen would have to retire his style of guerrilla filmmaking. After the success of 2006's Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, and the relative non-success of 2009's Brüno, sneaking up on people with a camera and smacking his genitals on their foreheads wouldn't be as easy as it once was for Cohen, especially now that a sizable portion of the population knows his face, among other parts of his body.
San Antonio Current |
Michael Gallucci |
05-16-2012 |
Reviews
Tags: Larry Charles, The Dictator
The Surprising Disappointment of 'Bruno'new
Borat offended us with an ignorance so profound the ignorant found it sympathetic, inspiring them to reveal their prejudice. Bruno, on the other hand, is an archly superior fashionista nearly equal in stupidity to Borat but nowhere near as sweet.
Eugene Weekly |
Jason Blair |
07-16-2009 |
Reviews
'Bruno' Pushes the Limits but Isn't As Consistent as 'Borat'new
Whatever Sacha Baron Cohen does next, he's bound to give the folks at the Motion Picture Association of America some major headaches. This movie pushes the boundaries of the R rating to the limit, and some will undoubtedly think it goes too far.
Tucson Weekly |
Bob Grimm |
07-16-2009 |
Reviews
'Bruno' Fails to Detonate With the Force of its Predecessornew
The movie's provocations connect only fitfully, and despite its comparatively strong narrative, it feels less of a piece than Borat, and more like an overlong episode of Sacha Baron Cohen's TV show.
Philadelphia City Paper |
Sam Adams |
07-14-2009 |
Reviews
Sacha Baron Cohen's Shock Tactics in 'Bruno' Are Ass Backwardsnew
In scene after scene, Baron Cohen and director Larry Charles throw transgressive images and suggestions at the audience, daring them to take offence. It's shock comedy based entirely on gay panic.
NOW Magazine |
Norman Wilner |
07-13-2009 |
Reviews
Sacha Baron Cohen Hunts for Narrow-Minded Bigots in 'Bruno'new
While so many public figures are deliberately shocking and offensive because they want us to join them in being small and mean and petty and tribal, Baron Cohen does the same thing but for the very opposite reasons. That is a good thing, and a thing very much worth celebrating -- and it's also outrageously funny to watch, too.
Charleston City Paper |
MaryAnn Johanson |
07-08-2009 |
Reviews
Sacha Baron Cohen Makes Funny, But Can't Get His Story Straight in 'Bruno'
Sacha Baron Cohen's follow-up to the hilarious Borat provokes half as many laughs in a seemingly less improvised comedy that goes twice again as far as Borat in goosing sexual sight gags designed to make even the most numb audience members blanch.
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
07-02-2009 |
Reviews
Bill Maher's Cross to Bearnew
Maher has been hammering away forever at institutionalized faith, but Religulous, which Lionsgate quixotically plans to position as an Oscar contender in the documentary category, raises the bar to a whole new dimension of attack, as you might expect from a movie with Borat director Larry Charles at the helm.
L.A. Weekly |
Ella Taylor |
10-10-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
'Religulous' is Funny and Confrontationalnew
Organized religion and some of its many followers take a kick in the nards from Bill Maher in Religulous, a funny and sometimes brutal indictment of all things God-related.
Tucson Weekly |
Bob Grimm |
10-09-2008 |
Reviews
Smart Guy Bill Maher Makes a Dumb Movie About Religionnew
Maher's first film project, Religulous, is a major disappointment because here, unlike on Real Time, he aims for laughs instead of insight -- and aims low.
Chicago Reader |
J.R. Jones |
10-06-2008 |
Reviews
Bill Maher Zaps Faith in 'Religulous'new
Maher takes stands against religion and against the very notion of faith (as the word is generally used these days) some of the time; and against the intermingling of religion and public policy all of the time.
Los Angeles CityBeat |
Andy Klein |
10-03-2008 |
Reviews
Bill Maher Tackles Taboo of Faith in 'Religulous'new
About a dozen very polite protesters attempted to mar the Canadian premiere of Bill Maher's gleefully sacrilegious standup documentary, Religulous, at the Toronto International Film Festival recently.
The Georgia Straight |
Mark Leiren-Young |
10-03-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: Larry Charles, Religulous
'Religulous' and 'Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist': He of Little Faithnew
Bill Maher vents some righteous anger at religion in his new documentary.
Washington City Paper |
Tricia Olszewski |
10-02-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: Larry Charles, Religulous
The Gospel According to Bill Mahernew
A documentary hoax readymade for the bitter barroom politico.
New York Press |
Armond White |
10-02-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: Larry Charles, Religulous
That's Bill Maher in the Spotlight, Losing His Religion.new
The catechism running through the movie is the question of who is more annoying: God or Bill Maher?
Willamette Week |
Aaron Mesh |
10-01-2008 |
Reviews
