Film Review: Borat
So, in a somewhat celebratory mood after today's political events, I joined a group of colleagues to see Borat after work. Yes, that film, the one who have Khazaks plotting revenge, and Russians banning the film outright.
I have never been a huge fan of caustic humour, and find hackneyed stereotypes more boring than amusing - I did not find Team America: World Police a barrel of laughs, for example. There are some levels of meta postmodernism that I simply reject^. As with Ali G, Sacha Baron Cohen's greatest moments shined through his interviews, and his great ability to get the interviewed to hang themselves. Mind you, in 'Borat,' the 'gentle prods' were more like bloodied piercings.
Overall, I have to rate the film "ok." Pretty rough humour, and there were some moments of brilliance*, lots of shock, and more than a fair share of offensiveness against almost everyone. Regarding shock, at every turn, Cohen finds a new depth to plumb ... I think almost everyone could have done without the fat naked chase - but that is signature Cohen OTT.
^Sacha Baron Cohen has avoided it thus far, but most who attempt his track either go mad or trip up on their own cleverness and become the very thing they are making comedy of, and are swallowed whole by their joke. Something Dave Chapelle correctly sensed was at the door, before he left Comedy Central.
*I'm a sucker for visual gags, and I'm still hollering at the vision of the bear's head. That's all I'll say without SPOILING.
---
EDIT: Side-note, I saw the film at the new Century Theatre inside the new Westfield Center (old Emporium). The place is massive, it includes such recent arrivals as a Zara clothier, and has an enviable food court of significant quality and price. One doesn't tend to think of American mall food courts as gourmet, but they certainly managed here.
I have never been a huge fan of caustic humour, and find hackneyed stereotypes more boring than amusing - I did not find Team America: World Police a barrel of laughs, for example. There are some levels of meta postmodernism that I simply reject^. As with Ali G, Sacha Baron Cohen's greatest moments shined through his interviews, and his great ability to get the interviewed to hang themselves. Mind you, in 'Borat,' the 'gentle prods' were more like bloodied piercings.
Overall, I have to rate the film "ok." Pretty rough humour, and there were some moments of brilliance*, lots of shock, and more than a fair share of offensiveness against almost everyone. Regarding shock, at every turn, Cohen finds a new depth to plumb ... I think almost everyone could have done without the fat naked chase - but that is signature Cohen OTT.
^Sacha Baron Cohen has avoided it thus far, but most who attempt his track either go mad or trip up on their own cleverness and become the very thing they are making comedy of, and are swallowed whole by their joke. Something Dave Chapelle correctly sensed was at the door, before he left Comedy Central.
*I'm a sucker for visual gags, and I'm still hollering at the vision of the bear's head. That's all I'll say without SPOILING.
---
EDIT: Side-note, I saw the film at the new Century Theatre inside the new Westfield Center (old Emporium). The place is massive, it includes such recent arrivals as a Zara clothier, and has an enviable food court of significant quality and price. One doesn't tend to think of American mall food courts as gourmet, but they certainly managed here.