Borat

Being a single guy, I sometimes find myself going to the movie theatre alone. Sometimes it’s because I’m a loser who can’t convince his friends to go see a movie with him, other times it’s because I’m a little ashamed that I want to see a particular film, so I’ll just go to a matinee and hope no one notices me. Borat was one of these particular films. I knew going into this film that it was full of crude humour, nudity, racial slurs, and all forms of offensive material. I usually warn my students to stay away from a film with that kind of content. I know friends of mine are probably surprised that I’d let myself be subject to this material. But Rotten Tomatoes has Borat sitting at 94%! Out of the 147 reviews, only 9 critics gave it a poor rating. Now I don’t always agree with critics but this was a landslide! I had to check it out and see for myself. I went to a Saturday matinee assuming that there would only be fifteen people in the theatre. I could not be more wrong. The place was packed. Future showings were sold out. The theatre was full. And laughing. Hard.

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America to Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan is one of the funniest movies of the year. Even the full title makes me chuckle. As most critics will agree, Borat is like Spinal Tap mixed with Andy Kaufman and sprinkled with Jackass. The guerilla-style mockumentary follows Borat as he travels across the USA to learn more about the country and find Pamela Anderson. Along the way, Borat interacts with individuals who show their true colors when prodded. While most of the conversations seem genuine and spontaneous, others seem to be played up for the camera. Larry Charles who has worked on Seinfeld, Entourage and Curb Your Enthusiasm directs the film. Being involved with Curb easily qualifies Charles to be documenting Borat’s every move whether scripted or otherwise.

What amazes me about Borat is the utter talent of Sacha Baron Cohen. I never watched Da Ali G Show, so this is my first exposure to Borat. No pun intended. I’m a big fan of improv and watching Cohen work his magic is sight to behold. He never breaks character or accent. In fact, he would only be interviewed in character when it came to the multiple talk shows on the press tour. I also heard that Cohen only wears one Borat suit that has never been washed. The smell is pretty bad. That’s commitment to character. With all of Borat’s anti-Semitic comments, I do find it comforting to know that Cohen is Jewish and not just a jerk. The true jerks in Borat are the Americans who don’t bother to censor themselves in front of this supposedly naïve foreigner. A gun shop owner doesn’t even flinch when Borat asks what gun is best to kill Jews. The owner suggests a Glock. Scary.

So do I recommend Borat? If you are easily offended, stay away. If you can take the offensiveness, go ahead and enjoy with caution. If you don’t want others to know you’re watching it, wait till the DVD. If you watch this film and not one thing causes you to squirm, I worry about you.