The MPAA has slammed Sacha Baron Cohen’s sure-to-be controversial “Brüno” with an ‘NC-17’ rating after its first submission. The rating was given on account of numerous sexual scenes that were considered “over the line” by the board.
While Cohen is currently appealing the decision, the rating is a blow as the film is unlikely to be given a release unless the downgraded ‘R’ rating is achieved. A spokesperson at Universal confirmed the rating but denied any talk of a struggle for the film to reach the target rating: “On its first submission the film did not receive an R but it is far too early to say that there is any struggle to get there. With the quantity of material available, I cannot foresee a problem. It’s not even April and the film comes out July 10 so it’s nonsense to say there’s a struggle of any kind.” One executive added: “A guy like Sacha shoots what he wants, and then he negotiates. He offends everybody – but you laugh from the minute it starts.”
Reports, meanwhile, say that the final cut of the film is still yet to be decided with differing experimental edits still being tested as recent as last week. Cuts used for the tests were apparently very successful. The Playlist recently got a sneak peak of twenty minutes footage from the film and described it as making “Borat” “look like child’s play” and “upping the ante on Cohen’s aggressively offensive, squirm-worthy hilarity.”
A source close to the film further describes the intent of Cohen with ‘Bruno’; “Sacha is always redrawing the boundaries where you don’t expect them – it forces us to question our own discomfort when we are confronted with images that challenge our preconceptions about sexuality.”
“Bruno” is due out July 10th.