The underrated 'Bruno' is an unlikely all-American movie

Although it takes a little while to get going, the outrageous 2009 mockumentary, Bruno, is a perfect companion piece to Sacha Baron Cohen's breakout hit Borat, although it was much more harshly received, and I suspect that's because the movie takes much more dead aim at American prejudice and ignorance in a way that the previous film, featuring a hapless foreigner, never did.

Although it relies on crude, gross-out gags a little too much, when Bruno is firing on all cylinders it features some awesomely compelling footage.

For instance, when the Bruno character (who is a vain, oblivious, flamboyant, wanna-be gay fashion icon) makes a foray into trying to "become straight" he conducts a series of gasp-worthy interviews with barely-closeted gay conversion aficionados, swingers, hunters and self-defense trainers.

It's barely a movie -- it's really a series of wild, sometimes potentially dangerous vignettes -- but taken as a whole its edifying about the vacuousness and hatred buried not so deep within the American psyche.

In fact, Bruno could be viewed as a harbinger of the Trump era, since the character makes his own reality and more often than not the people he encounters (with the notable exception of a very angry Ron Paul) humor him and appease him to absurd degrees.

There is one extended, particularly cringe-worthy scene, where Bruno interviews stage parents of child actors that are not even quite toddlers. Seeing that his marks are sickeningly pliable, Bruno/Baron Cohen begins to pile on increasingly bizarre and vile requests.

The parents, without hesitation, agree that their children will be fine appearing in a crucifixion scene and dressed as Nazis, it's hard to not to think of the lengths so many people in this country will go to satisfy their own need for gratification or perhaps financial security.

A surreal interview with Paula Abdul

It's sad and sickening to be sure, but it also feels wholly American.

And fittingly, the whole movie ends in a cage match in Arkansas, where a staged make-out between Bruno and his on-again-off-again lover leads to a near riot. The scene could easily be transported to a Trump rally, when protesters were assaulted and the eventual 'president' egged them on.

As with all of Sacha Baron Cohen's humor, there's an argument to be made that he is trafficking in all the very ignorant stereotypes he's ridiculing people for believing in, and what's more there's a smug superiority in mocking people who have no idea they're being had.

And yet, any crime against humanity (or comedy) he may be committing, pales in comparison to the obnoxiousness of twin charity promoters he interviews who mangle the pronunciation of Darfur and at one point float the idea of making wristbands out of endangered animals to raise awareness...about endangered animals.

God bless him and God help America; our ignorance has been our bliss and will potentially be our downfall.