Borat

After “Ali G Indahouse” earned mixed reactions from critics and movie goers alike, Sacha Baron Cohen went on the play eccentric supporting characters including King Julian in the “Madagascar” series & Jean Girard in “Talladega Nights: The Ballard Of Ricky Bobby.” During his time as a character actor, Sacha worked on a film based on Borat, one of his characters from “Da Ali G Show” linked to a thematic trilogy as I would call it “Da Ali G Trilogy.” Each one centers around all three characters ranging from Ali G, Borat & Brüno getting their own movie as the main protagonist.

Borat was released in 2006. (same year Casino Royale came out) It received critical acclaim from critics and movie goers alike. It managed to make a lot of money at the box office. Borat went on to win Golden Globes for “Best Actor In A Comedy” (Sacha Baron Cohen) & “Best Musical Or Comedy.” Three Years Later, Brüno came out concluding Da Ali G Trilogy.

Although a critical success, Borat caused several controversies such as Sacha tricking a Romanian village into depicting them as Kazakhstan citizens, Kid Rock divorcing Pamala Anderson over the fact she didn’t tell him she was in it & Borat’s parody version of The Kazakhstan National Anthem was accidentally played during a sporting event.

Marketing for the film heavily relied on Sacha promoting it in character as Borat appearing on talk shows such as David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Good Morning America, The Today Show just to name a few. Afterwards, it becomes his a shtick when he later promotes his other movies as Brüno & “The Dictator.” A book about Borat’s experience in America & Kazakhstan is also available on bookstores.

A sequel to Borat made surprising news with Sacha reprising his role as the character. It’s currently done and will be streaming on Amazon Prime. In response to Borat 2, I’ve decided to look back on one of my favorite comedies of all time to gear up for the upcoming sequel. It’ll be streaming on October 23rd so don’t forget to fill up your calendar.

This review doesn’t contain no SPOILERS whatsoever. Feel free to check out this non-spoiler article. Is Borat still a masterpiece? Time to find out.

Nice & Naughty Qualities

Nice: Sacha Baron Cohen did an excellent job for his funny as heck performance as the titular character. He also wrote and co-produce the script.

Ken Davitian also did a funny as heck job for his performance as Borat’s sidekick Azamat. He also gets his share of hilarious hijinks.

Jay Roach (Austin Powers Trilogy, Meet The Parents, Meet The Fockers) co-produced the film.

Todd Phillips (The Hangover Trilogy, Old School, Joker) helped crafted the story. He left due to creative differences. Despite leaving, he’s credited as a writer.

Larry Charles (Seinfeld, Brüno, The Dictator) did a decent job directing.

The film is filled with memorable laugh out loud moments that nearly made me lose my breath. Borat’s encounters with non-actors are are filmed without any of them not aware he’s pranking them to push an individual’s views on a particular subject.

Like Da Ali G Show, Borat pokes fun at American Culture, politics, celebrities, society, feminism, anti-semitism, (Sacha is actually Jewish in real life he gets a pass for self-deprecation) religion & Borat’s most hated country Uzbekistan. If you’re easily offended, this is not the movie that suits you. If you’re willing to watch Borat, be prepared, because this movie is unapologetic. I never got offended by Borat, I’m used to these type of jokes on “South Park.”

Unlike Ali G Indahouse, Borat’s solo movie is presented as a mockumentary with the titular character who travels to America to learn about their social norms, culture, organizations as a way to civilize his birth country.

Borat’s introduction as well as his first line, indicates this movie is gonna make you soil your pants. Make sure to bring an extra pair of underwear. You’re gonna need em’ big time.

My favorite line from Borat is “This suit is not black!”

Borat’s green Mankini swimsuit became an iconic piece of clothing besides his usual grey suit.

My favorite part of the entire movie is a fight at a hotel. Y’all probably know what it is, all I can say is in fact disgusting. That fight scene deserves Bonus Points as I couldn’t control my laughter. If I were you, be prepared, because you are in need for a bard bag.

I gotta love Borat’s version of Kazakhstan’s National Anthem. According to Anderson Cooper, a sporting event played the wrong anthem when a gold medalist from Kazakhstan felt painfully embarrassed that the Borat’s parody version was automatically downloaded on The Internet by mistake. Kazakhstan’s National Anthem is also included in the soundtrack along with many laugh out loud tracks.

Borat’s quest is to travel to California to meet Pamela Anderson. He goes across the country with his sidekick Azamat in the hopes of marrying her.

Seth Rogen & Patton Oswalt did some uncredited writing to polish some of the jokes.

Naughty: I couldn’t find anything wrong with this movie. I’m giving Sacha and the crew an Extra Point for making a flawless movie as possible.

The Final Verdict: A, FOR APEX!

Borat remains as a masterpiece and also one of my favorite comedies of all time. Sacha Baron Cohen did a excellent job for his funny as heck performance pranking real life people unaware he’s faking it. All the positive stuff I’ve listed, indicates why Borat is perhaps the best installment of Da Ali G Trilogy. If you’re on the hype train to see Borat 2, I strongly recommend the first movie.