"Bruno" is a comedy that could double as a horror flick for a lot of the people I know. Its content is so hyper-sexual that it stops just a millimeter short of pornography, and the methods through which the humor is mined are morally uneasy at best, repugnant at worst.

The titular character is played by Sacha Baron Cohen, who elevates putting on a disguise and upsetting people to a perverse art form. Those familiar with Baron Cohen's earlier work in "Da Ali G Show" or "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan" will know what to expect. For everyone else, imagine an episode of "Candid Camera" with a flamboyantly gay host, gags projected with exaggerated sexual zeal and no good-natured laughs when the joke is over.

The story follows Bruno, a fashion guru, as he leaves behind his idyllic life as an Austrian TV personality to pursue Hollywood stardom. Bereft of acting or musical talent, Bruno decides that a shortcut to fame is needed: Interviews with big stars, a sex tape, solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, adopting an African baby, and eventually, a sexual orientation realignment. "Bruno" invites us to not only laugh at Baron Cohen, but at those poor fools who find themselves the unwitting butt of his jokes.

Consider a scene in which Bruno attempts to score a sex tape with Ron Paul, a 2008 Republican presidential candidate. I met Paul during one of his stops in Iowa, and during the three or so minutes we chatted, he struck me as a very nice man. In "Bruno," Paul must flee the lewd sexual advances of a purported TV interviewer. It's a funny scenario, but I felt uneasy laughing once the cruelty was considered.

Other scenes are easier to swallow. One gag sees Bruno interviewing would-be stage parents for a photo shoot involving their children. "Is your son comfortable working around lit phosphorous?" he asks one enthusiastic parent who replies "He loves it." And the film's funniest scene and climax sees Bruno travel to Arkansas, where he arranges a cage match under the identity of "Straight Dave."

As with "Borat," people already are rushing to gauge "Bruno" by its supposed social and political messages. Indeed, the film functions as a moral and political Rorschach test of sorts, able to be seen as a strike against homophobia, an insult to homosexuals, both, or something in-between. I, however, would suggest that anyone expecting such a thing will likely have to invent it, because Baron Cohen and director Larry Charles are in it strictly for the laughs. It's no surprise that some in the gay community have objected; a plea for tolerance and understanding this bombastic riot is not.

Baron Cohen goes way beyond the obvious gags for "Bruno." Even for an individual who hasn't seen a line he hasn't wanted to cross, his devotion borders on frightening. One sequence sees him travel to Lebanon to interview the head of a terrorist group, a talk that opens with Bruno lambasting the leader's hair. Though I do not profess an expertise in Middle Eastern terrorism, it certainly appears possible that Baron Cohen could get himself killed. The star of a comedy hasn't risked his life so memorably since Buster Keaton.

review

'Bruno'

Starring: Sacha Baron Cohen

Director: Larry Charles

Run time: 1 hour, 23 minutes

Rated: R, for pervasive strong and crude sexual content, graphic nudity and language

Now playing at: Crossroads, College Square

(3 and a half stars out of 5)