Or to give this movie its full title it is ‘Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan’ for me just too long of a mouthful, so I'm going to call it Borat. Released in 2006 this mocumentary was directed by Larry Charles and stars Sacha Baron Cohen, Ken Davitian, Luenell, and Pamela Anderson. It was produced by Sacha and Jay Roach on a budget of $18m it went on to make $262.6m from the box office. Sacha Baron Cohen has a history of playing characters to the extreme. This particular character, I remember watching on Channel 4 and finding him being hysterical, so I guess I was always going to enjoy this movie. And no doubt I will enjoy the sequel released this year. There was controversy around this film before it was even released and some more after its release with some participants speaking out against it and even sued the makers. Most Arab countries banned it and the government of Kazakhstan denounced it. Despite that it was well received by the usual critics as IMDb gave this a 7.8 out of 10 and Rotten Tomatoes going with an almost perfect score of 98%. There isn't really a plot here but I will do my best.
Borat Sagdiyev has been asked by the Kazakh Ministry of Information to go to The United States as the greatest country in the world and make a documentary about American Society and culture. In New York City Borat watches an episode of Baywatch on TV and falls instantly in love with Pamela Anderson. While interviewing and mocking a panel of feminists he learns of the actresses name and her residence in California. He hears that his wife has just been killed by a bear, thus freeing him to try and woo Pamela. This effectively becomes a travel movie and he is travelling whilst still taking footage for his documentary, there are plenty of Anti semitic humour for example not flying to California in case “The Jews repeat their attack of 9/11”. Borat has many adventures on route to get to California and causes havoc and worries wherever he goes. Meeting and interviewing Americans to illustrate cultural differences, stupidity and the ease to which Americans will agree to follow something. For example getting a group of Cowboys to sing along with his “Throw the Jew Down the Well” song. I will stop there but obviously you just get to California with some high Japes in tow.
I would describe this as a cringe comedy, he has created just one of those types of movies that is hysterically funny but you do find your toes curling with the comments and the responses and then his counter replies. Sacha Baron Cohen can play characters and he has become a master at it from Ali G which movie had Borat in it, very briefly. He knows how to stay in character when everything around him is turning to insanity, he embraces that insanity and just makes it cringingly funny. You do feel for the Americans that have fallen hook line and sinker to this buffoon of a foreign ambassador affectively for Kazakhstan. There are scenes that make you cringe, whilst you do feel for those that have fallen or been suckered in by this character of Borat. There are so many scenes that I can think of that would spoil it, so I don't really want to go into too much detail like the cheese in the supermarket, the naked fight with his producer, the rodeo, and the list goes on. Each individual scene would probably be enough for a TV show in itself but with this movie these just keep coming scene after scene. Which keeps you cringing and you keep going with the I can’t watch this anymore but you are unable to take your eyes off. It's that intriguing that you keep watching even though you want to skip past the cringe and get to the next section. But this film doesn't allow that as its cringe, after cringe, after hysterical moment, after hysterical moment, it is so well worked and so well put together, it is just so clever that if you haven't seen it and you're an adult [thought I really should add that] you really should give this one a go but have some cringe time first get out your system.
Next up is another Swedish movie, it must be good seeing as all of ‘The Girl’ movies were Swedish (kind of) so this MUST be good as well.
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