Borat

The film, an unscripted mockumentary, opens in Kazakhstan, where Borat (Cohen, in a brilliant, Academy Award-worthy performance) introduces us to his village, its inhabitants and many of their traditions. Along with his producer, Azamat Bagatov (Ken Davitian), Borat has been chosen by the Kazakhstan government to go to America and interview some of its citizens in New York City to, as the movie's title implies, learn about American culture in order to benefit the Kazakh population.

But the troubles for Borat begin the minute he steps into the United States. The multitude of prejudices and lifestyle that have been ingrained into him by Kazakhstan society prove to be offending to practically everyone he meets, which makes it difficult to get the proper interviews he was sent over for. Complicating his assignment even further is actress Pamela Anderson. Borat sees Anderson on an episode of Baywatch, becomes smitten with her and decides to travel cross country to meet and marry her.

The film has been in the center of a maelstrom of controversy ever since it premiered at the Toronto Film Festival. The government of Kazakhstan denounced Cohen and the movie (without seeing it) as being an unfair representation of their country (since then, they seemed to have backed off a bit). After the film goes into wide release in ths USA, I have no doubt that there will be protests from non-Kazakhstan groups as well. Pick a demographic, chances are they were fair game for Charles' and Cohen's satire, a wicked mix of Candid Camera by way of the MTV show Punk'd. The results are interview segments that are shocking (provided in the comments made by the interviewees), vulgar (courtesy of Cohen) and so defiantly politically incorrect that I feel obliged to state the following: if you pride yourself on being PC or are easily offended, avoid the film at all costs. Plain and simple, Borat is not for you.

For the rest of us, who are a little more open minded, can take a joke and are more than willing to laugh at oneself (even if it makes you uncomfortable), you will be hard-pressed to find a funnier movie this year. In fact, the last time I laughed this much at a movie was seven years ago during South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut. Borat shares a lot of traits with that modern comedy classic: shock value, vulgarity and a non-stop barrage of big laughs among them.

More importantly, both make astute observations on troubling aspects in today's society. South Park took on censorship. Borat takes on prejudice. The non-stop barrage of Cohen's racial and sexual material is wisely used as a springboard to reveal and examine the absurdities of ignorance and hate that permeate our world. The Kazakhstan we see in Borat could be any of the multitudes of countries in Europe, Asia and the Middle East, where Anti-Semitism is nowadays a sadly acceptable form of behavior. And a lot of the reactions the American interviewees give to Borat's naïve but nonetheless offensive goading act as a cracked mirror on a nation that proudly boasts diversity and tolerance for all.

You might not catch all of this while you are watching Borat, most likely because you and your fellow theatergoers will be laughing too hard and loud (I swear I missed at least a third of the dialogue at the screening I attended in September). But once the lights go up, the guffaws subside and you're heading home, the satire will become sharper and the film's message, clearer.

It's a shame that Cohen and Charles will not be able to make a sequel to Borat. Once this cinematic cat is out of the bag and everyone knows who Borat is, he'll have about as much luck interviewing Average Joes on the street as Michael Moore would elected officials. But for this character’s one shot at cinematic splendor, Borat makes for glorious, unforgettable cinema comedy. As the Sixth Most Famous reporter in Kazakhstan would proudly exalt, High Five!!!!!!!!!!!!

share Tweet