Sacha Baron Cohen’s latest movie Bruno has been given an NC-17 rating by the Motion Picture Association of America. If the movie isn’t edited enough to be granted an R rating by July when it is scheduled to hit theaters, Universal may not agree to release it at all. The first time Sacha’s last movie, Borat, was viewed by the MPAA, it too received an NC-17 rating, but they edited it down to get the coveted R.

Reasons for the rating include explicit photos of Sacha and other naked men while a baby is nearby; a child being asked to dress as a Nazi and shove someone into an oven for a movie; and Sacha naming a black baby a “traditional African name” – O.J. – and calling him a “dick magnet.” Seems like a deserved NC-17.

Baron Cohen is accustomed to pushing boundaries. In his last hit film, “Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan,” the writer and actor orchestrated outrageous real-life situations that challenged anti-Semitic and other stereotypes.

With “Bruno,” Baron Cohen apparently goes even further, drawing a cutting comic edge that challenges homophobia and racism by embracing both. His method is a kind of cinema verite, drawing unsuspecting bystanders into outrageous situations, or provoking them to say outrageous things, and orchestrating NC-17 rated situations.

Individuals close to the film say that Baron Cohen, Bruno’s writer and star, is “experimenting” and still “finding the film,” and tested two different versions with audiences in the past week. Both screenings, they said, were very successful.

But Cohen needs to deliver an R-rated film to Universal, which will not consider releasing an NC-17 “Bruno,” according to an executive there.

The difference between an R and an NC-17 in terms of financial reward is vast. “Borat,” which cost a piddling $18 million to make, took in $261 million in worldwide box office. Universal paid $42 million for the English-language rights to “Bruno,” but will spend far more than that in marketing the film. Major Hollywood studios almost never release films with NC-17 ratings.

[From The Wrap]

We have come to expect little else from Sacha Baron Cohen. While Borat was incredibly offensive and I enjoyed it even though my gut said that I shouldn’t, the monetary and popular success of the film has given him permission to create an even more ridiculous movie. No doubt it will be panned by critics but loved by audiences. One of the best parts of his movies is that they are mockumentary-style, giving us glimpses into real life people. In Bruno, he convinces one stage mother to get her infant daughter to lose 7 pounds for a part. The fact that it’s a real woman, not an actress, makes it even worse.

Personally, I think he was at his best in Talladega Nights where he plays the French race car driver. His part was over-the-top, but he didn’t feel the need to wrestle with a naked obese man or take nude pictures with a baby to get laughs.

Here’s Sacha with Isla Fisher at the “Confessions of a Shopaholic” premiere after-party on February 5th. Images thanks to Fame Pictures .