Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

Rating: ****/*****, or 8/10

Hilarious, subversive and playful comedy about a journalist from Kazakhstan, Borat Sagdiyev (undoubtedly Sacha Baron Cohen's most memorable character), who is sent by his government to the 'U, S and A' to make a report on life in its various aspects in the greatest country of the world, together with his short tempered and less than enthusiastic producer Azamat. On a trip across the country, traveling from one great sketch to another, Borat falls in love with Pamela Anderson (after seeing her only once on TV) and aims to track her down and marry her the Kazakh way, whether she likes to or not. Though the scenes in Borat's village in Kazakhstan are quite obviously staged (to great comedic effect), since such a wonderfully silly place just can't exist anywhere, the question remains just how much of the American part of the film is for real, as Borat interviews many different average Americans and manages to get great reactions out of his subjects, most feeling very natural and many of them quite disturbing, but all of them the object of very funny, often completely politically incorrect gags involving every conceivable minority out there (Jews, gypsies, coloured people, women, homosexuals, prostitutes, etc.): if Cohen didn't happen to be Jewish himself, it's likely he wouldn't have gotten away with the stunts he pulls here, though after the success of this film (both in terms of reception and box office) he got into many a lawsuit for his outrageous behavior regardless. The funniest scenes of this film include the 'Running of the Jew' event in Borat's home town, Borat singing the Kazakhstan national anthem on the melody of the American national anthem at a rodeo in front of hundreds of conservative flag waving American citizens, and a fight between Borat and Azamat in the nude in a hotel that goes on for much longer than is comfortable to anyone. Cohen would repeat the formula verbatim in 2009 with the much less impressive and fairly predictable Brüno.

Starring: Sacha Baron Cohen, Ken Davitian, Luenell

Directed by Larry Charles

USA: Four By Two Production, 2006