By Wa-wa-wee-wa…The most expensive film ever made by Kazakhstan is also the funniest movie ever presented to American audiences. Who would have ever thought that the small village of Kuczek, where the town mechanic also performs the abortions and there is an annual “Running of the Jews,” could produce such talent for exposing hypocrisies in American culture?
The talent is, of course, their journalist Borat Sagdiyev, sent to the United States to make a documentary entitled “Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Kazakhstan.”
The character that upped Andy Kaufman’s ante, Borat, was created and portrayed by U.K. comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, originally in “Da Ali G Show.” Now with the help of director Larry Charles, Borat has zig-zagged his way across Europe, plus a couple hens trapped in his leather duffle, to reach the shores of the “US and A.”
One phenomenal addition to the story of Borat is the debut of his severely-obese and feeble producer, Azamat Bagatov, (Ken Davitian) who does more than his part to entertain audiences.
Things eventually take a different shape after Borat learns his wife back home has died and discovers Baywatch babe Pamela Anderson.
Realizing that flying to Malibu would be too dangerous, less “the Jews repeat 9/11,” they buy a dilapidated ice cream truck and a bear for protection, and set off to take Anderson as Borat’s new wife.
The film requires at least an empty bladder and a readiness for abdominal pain, as you are guaranteed to laugh non-stop for the entire 82 minutes. But, in all actuality, there are five minutes total where you stop laughing and sincerely worry about Sacha Cohen’s safety…like when he sings the Kazakh national anthem to the tune of the “Star Spangled Banner” in front of a Rodeo crowd, full of good-old American folk, who are ready for a lynching. In all fairness, they did cheer for Borat when he announced that his country supported America’s “War on Terror.”
This is but one example of the hypocrisies exposed by Borat that lay deep in American culture. In “Da Ali G Show,” Borat was able to lead a crowd in a sing-along of “Throw the Jew Down the Well.” Don’t worry, Sacha Cohen is himself Jewish, but the anti-Semitic audience didn’t know that.
The hypocrisy of it all is even further emphasized when Borat, in his feature-film debut, takes lessons from a humor coach. While he explains the relationship between his “retarded brother Billo, who is kept in a cage” and his sister,” “the No.4 prostitute in all of Kazakh,” the humor-coach tells him that type of thing is not funny in America. Well, I was there, and the whole audience at Friday’s matinee was having trouble breathing, as they laughed through the whole scene.
Apparently, that sort of thing is funny in America.
Perhaps I’m juvenile for thinking this is the funniest movie ever made. Perhaps I’ve come to accept that in America, we prescribe political correctness only because we’re not.
The irony of our hypocrisy and the integrity of Cohen to shove it in our faces is refreshing and humorous to me. Maybe, you’ll be offended. I don’t know, if you’ll like it or not, but it’s definitely worth the price of admission.
