borat

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Borat: Cultural Larning of America for Make Benifit

Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

Written by Nobuhiro Hosoki

Brit comedian Sacha Baron Cohen satirizes himself with one of his three characters, Borat Sagdiyev, a Kazakhstan TV personality with a shabby gray suit and a moustache as thick as his accent. He is seen embarking as a cultural ambassador to take a fact-finding mission through the heartland of America while being absurdly vulgar, politically incorrect, grotesquely anti-Semitici, homophobic, and misogynistic--yes, almost crossing every line of decency. Oh well, those are the spices for the soup in the big melting pot called America.

The film begins with Borat in his local village in Kazakhstan, immediately smitten with a blonde girl who turns out to be his sister and the No. 4 most popular prostitute in the country. After a triumphant exit from his country, he maneuvers into a N.Y. subway line, packing a live chicken in his valise and intentionally releasing it to cause chaos. In a TV interview, he baffles a feminist with his chauvinistic remark that a "woman's brain is size of squirrel".

This is the vein that Borat continues throughout the film, making constant low-blow hits to unsuspecting average Americans. Of course, there was no doubt in my mind that it would gets worse, particularly when Southern hospitalities are shattered in a scene where he politely excuses himself to the bathroom and comes back with his feces in a doggy bag, and when his this uncivilized buffoon brings a hooker into a polite social scene. Borat is accompanied in his travels by a heavyset, unkempt producer, and the two eventually tussle in a nude wrestling match that goes beyond repulsive.

As much as the film captures modern life in the U.S., it seems shot with a full measure of irony, as when Borat abruptly asks a gun store owner "What's the best gun to kill the Jew?" The owner simply brings out a 9mm gun with an amazing poker-face. Then, a rodeo man casually mentions that all gay men get lynched, exposing an ugly side of the sickness in this country.

Cohen's portrayal of a grammatically challenged reporter reminds me of the comic genius of Peter Sellers. Comedy with rough edges is often prone to offend some folks, but it is his perpetually upbeat attitude that win us over. Throughout the film, he exudes gumption in front of camera, and every punch-line he delivers--without dwelling on it, simply moving on--effectively gets a prolonged, proving that simple, uncomplicated comedy often travels well in other countries--such as the horny rush he has on Pamera Anderson!

Directed by Larry Charles
Written by Sacha Baron Cohen
Anthony Hines, Peter Baynham and Dan Mazer
Based on a story by Mr. Baron Cohen, Mr. Baynham, Mr. Hines and Todd Phillips, and a character created by Mr. Baron Cohen
Directors of photography: Anthony Hardwick and Luke Geissbühler
Edited by Peter Teschner and James Thomas
Music by Erran Baron Cohen
Produced by Sacha Baron Cohen and Jay Roach
Released by 20th Century Fox. Running time: 89 minutes.

Cast: Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat)
Ken Davitian (Azamat)
Luenell (Luenell)
Alex Daniels (Naked Fight Coordinator)
James P. Vickers (Kidnapping Consultant)
Peewee Piemonte (Safety)
,and Michael Li, Harry Wowchuk and Nicole Randall (Action Team).