4.10.2007

Borat


One of the first things that I realized after seeing this DVD, is that Sacha Cohen is still walking. That is, when one watches this movie, it is amazing he finished it safely. He pissed alot of people off. Most of you are aware of his character Borat Sagdiyev, the Kazakhstani journalist that gets to travel to the USA. (Cultural Learnings of America, yada, yada yada.) And on the surface, this film is rather crude. I point this out only because, through the tears running down my face from laughing so hard, I must be objective. But it's also quite insightful. And I think Cohen draws from past comedians is such a way, that the film at times almost becomes a tribute.

For instance, if I was to pick an original source for the premise of Borat himself, I would submit Steve Martin's "wild and crazy guy!" from the early SNL years. Cohen also uses clever mannerisms akin to Charles Chaplin. There are scenes where Borat has become despondent over being abandoned by his travel companion and producer Azamat Bagatov. And when he finally meets-up with Azamat in LA, he finds him disguised as Chaplin!

But it's Lenny Bruce that Cohen is really trying to channel. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenny_Bruce) Sacha Cohen has created Borat not so much to mock Eastern Europe, but rather to suggest we mirror them. And while Borat unbashedly embraces intolerence, the film suggests the rest of us pretend intolerance doesn't exist. (Imus, are you reading this?)

In another life, Sacha Cohen would teach a foreign language at some local high school. A geeky, tall guy that understands the codes that govern verse. In this life he's a sage. Big recommend.

6 comments:

Terrible lie said...

I laughed my ass of while watching this movie as well.. Although I had watched Jack Ass 2 right before I through this in..Sooo it could have been better for me... Also another laugh my ass off film was Trailer Park Boys.. This coming from a non watcher of the show!!!

Prunella Jones said...

I loved this movie. El Hombre and I saw it in the theater and laughed so loud people were shushing us.

GetFlix said...

Amber, I know. It's hilarious.

So that was you and Hombre making all that noise, Pru. I should've known.

prettykitty said...

loved this film! i'm glad you got the humor because alot of people either loved or hated it. if you've ever seen borat on cohen's HBO show, you'd know that he is possibly one of the bravest comedians working today. the nude wrestling scene was so funny, my ribs were sore for days.

PixieGaf said...

I LOVE this movie! I did think it would be funnier but the part where he sings the Kazakhstan national anthem at a rodeo more than made up for it. I am just wondering how he got out alive afterwards.

GetFlix said...

Kitty, the nude wrestling scene was nuts!! "You make hand-love to my Pamala?!"

Pix, that rodeo scene scared the shit outta of me. Seriously.