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"U S and A... We
Support Your War of
Terror!!!" |
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Directed by Larry
Charles - Written by
Sacha Baron Cohen
Starring Sacha Baron
Cohen & Ken Davitian
Distributed by 20th
Century Fox -
2006 - 84m - Rated PG13 |
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"My wife is dead... High Five!" |
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By now there has been
enough seemingly hyperbolic praise thrown around about “Borat:
Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of
Kazakhstan” that you will see it on the hype machine alone. There has
also been enough criticism of it from the Kazak government that you
are probably going to see it out of curiosity.
Well, I won’t tell you differently. During its 84 minute running time,
“Borat” manages to be the smartest satire since “Dr. Strangelove” and
the best example of crude humor and outrageous behavior ever put on
film.
Sacha Baron Cohen plays the title character, a casually racist and
misogynistic Kazak reporter who is sent from America to “the US and A”
to learn how to improve the glorious, but troubled nation of
Kazakhstan (“We have three problems: social, economic and Jew”). Just
like in “Da Ali G Show,” where the Borat character originated, most of
what occurs involves real people, with Cohen improvising his lines and
staying in character as to convince everyone around him that he is
real.
Yeah, this could have been a ridiculous comedic stunt film like
“Jackass,” but Cohen and director Larry Charles are not interested in
just grossing you out (although they do their best). On his travels
throughout the United States, “Borat” manages to expose the prejudice
that many Americans still hold but try to hide. He says a lot of
outrageous things, but disturbingly, a lot of people seem to agree.
Cohen plays Borat as a victim of his land. He may be anti-Semitic and
he may think that women are better off in cages, but it is always
apparent that he has no idea what a Jew actually is and that he has
never even heard of women’s rights. The end effect is that Borat comes
off as a strangely lovable child who doesn’t even realize how awful
the things he are saying truly are. This is a masterful approach.
Borat, by being the somewhat dumb and childish figure, gets people to
say what’s on their minds and they often agree with him.
Borat is racist out of ignorance, but the racist and bigoted Americans
he meets are racist for far darker reasons. If “Doctor Strangelove: Or
How I Learned to Stop Living and Love the Bomb” was an indictment of
everything that was wrong with America in the 1960s, than “Borat:
Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of
Kazakhstan” is an indictment of everything that is wrong with America
TODAY. In a strange way, this is just as much a documentary as it is a
comedy (There is even a terrifying scene that may put "Jesus Camp" to
shame).
This is a mean and vicious satire. It will make you squirm in your
seat while you laugh. Reaching into the satire bag again, I compare it
to “Gulliver’s Travels,” which attacked England with absolute venom.
Satire aside, this is a damn funny movie.
The malapropism-prone Borat delivers lines that will be quoted
(possibly to death) for years. There is a scene in a hotel room
between Borat and his producer (Ken Davitian) that has to be seen (or
seen through your hands) to be believed.
Cohen is the centerpiece of this film and he does not fail on any
level. His commitment to the character is incredible; in addition to
creating the most inspired and hilarious character in recent memory,
Cohen never breaks character during the reality scenes, no matter how
outrageous he the situation gets. I remember reading an interview with
the director, where he said that they were stopped by the Secret
Service while filming in Washington DC and Cohen stayed in character
and talked their way out of trouble while in character (with the
cameras rolling, apparently). I don’t know what your definition of
great acting is, but for me, this fits the bill. I say give the man an
Oscar nod.
This is not only the funniest film of the year (easily), but it may
very well the funniest movie I have ever seen. When the credits
rolled, my jaw hurt from laughing so hard. This is the bravest, most
shocking and smartest film of the year. It is one of the best.
This is another film that will be a lot funnier if you don’t know very
much going in. So I end this review with a final note: Yes, this film
is offensive. Horribly offensive. Give you mother a heart attack
offensive. If you think you will be offended, don’t go.
That is all. |
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© Written by Jacob Hall -
Email
Me! |
TC Candler's Comment
I laughed
more out of embarrassment for the victims than
anything else. This is a very amusing film
that probably exceeds its welcome in parts.
I have been a big fan of Cohen's Borat ever
since he introduced him to the world in his TV's
series. However, it seems to me that a
feature length film rather kills the joke.
I laughed enough to give it a recommendation --
but I felt like I had seen those same jokes from
him about a billion times. High five!
Richard Propes' Comment
n/a
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