my name-a Borat. I like you! I like sex! Is nice.
This was my review of "Borat" for Journalism class. I'm pretty happy with how it came out. Feel free to let me know what you think.
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America
For Make Benefit
Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
If you’re looking for a heartwarming, life-affirming, family film to get you in the holiday spirit, “Borat” is definitely not the movie for you.
However, if you’re in the mood for a comedy involving racial humor, sexism, public defecation, loose livestock on New York transit, and the unsuspecting American public at its finest, it may be just what you’re looking for. If you want it delivered by a lanky, anti-Semetic, misogynistic foreigner with a dashing grin and a mustache that won’t quit, you’ve bought the right (overpriced) ticket.
Sacha Baron Cohen, the character actor best known from “Da Ali G Show”, plays Borat, a TV news reporter from the nation of Kazakhstan. We follow his misadventures as he and his companion Azamat start off in New York City, intending to interview important Americans there. However, on his first night in the hotel room, Borat sees Pamela Anderson on late-night TV and falls madly in love. Upon hearing that his wife in Kazakhstan has died (“High five!”), he immediately segues their ice-cream truck off to the west, to California, to pursue the woman of his dreams.
Along the way, we watch the hapless Borat and Azamat as they engage in all kinds of off-color hilarity. They purchase a bear for protection, which terrorizes small children. They mistake a pair of cockroaches for the kindly Jewish couple that has put them up for the night - and throw money in an attempt to pacify them. They roll around for several minutes in what’s quite possibly the most disturbing wrestling match in movie history. Through it all, they interact with American citizens in ways both horrifying and hilarious - sometimes at the same time.
One of the most striking examples of Americans’ reactions to Borat is when he visits a rodeo in Texas to sing the national anthem. He immediately gets the whole crowd cheering and applauding for him when during his introduction he declares, “I support your war of terror!” He continues with, “May George Bush drink the blood of every man, woman and child in Iraq!” - to still more cheers and applause. He then proceeds to turn the entire rodeo violently against him by singing the Kazakhstan national anthem - set to the tune of the American one. He is immediately thrown out.
It’s interesting to note that there are only four actual actors in the entire movie (though a couple of scenes, such as those involving Pamela Anderson’s kidnapping, were probably staged somewhat.) For the most part, you get to see Americans’ straightforward, unfiltered responses to this friendly, excitable, and naively offensive character. In this way, it’s a strange sort of documentary - a relatively new style which may very well be part of its popularity. It’s also a modern retelling of the American road trip, with unconventional characters and even more unconventional filmmaking.
For all its insanity, “Borat” does have its moments of clarity. Particularly at the end of the film, when Borat concludes that “If you chase a dream, especially one with plastic chests, you can miss the real beauty in front of your eyes.” While its brand of tasteless humor may keep it out of the hallowed halls of movie classics, it’s definitely both thought- and smile- provoking and should not be missed. But go see it in a large group - the moviegoers seemed more comfortable laughing that way.
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America
For Make Benefit
Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
If you’re looking for a heartwarming, life-affirming, family film to get you in the holiday spirit, “Borat” is definitely not the movie for you.
However, if you’re in the mood for a comedy involving racial humor, sexism, public defecation, loose livestock on New York transit, and the unsuspecting American public at its finest, it may be just what you’re looking for. If you want it delivered by a lanky, anti-Semetic, misogynistic foreigner with a dashing grin and a mustache that won’t quit, you’ve bought the right (overpriced) ticket.
Sacha Baron Cohen, the character actor best known from “Da Ali G Show”, plays Borat, a TV news reporter from the nation of Kazakhstan. We follow his misadventures as he and his companion Azamat start off in New York City, intending to interview important Americans there. However, on his first night in the hotel room, Borat sees Pamela Anderson on late-night TV and falls madly in love. Upon hearing that his wife in Kazakhstan has died (“High five!”), he immediately segues their ice-cream truck off to the west, to California, to pursue the woman of his dreams.
Along the way, we watch the hapless Borat and Azamat as they engage in all kinds of off-color hilarity. They purchase a bear for protection, which terrorizes small children. They mistake a pair of cockroaches for the kindly Jewish couple that has put them up for the night - and throw money in an attempt to pacify them. They roll around for several minutes in what’s quite possibly the most disturbing wrestling match in movie history. Through it all, they interact with American citizens in ways both horrifying and hilarious - sometimes at the same time.
One of the most striking examples of Americans’ reactions to Borat is when he visits a rodeo in Texas to sing the national anthem. He immediately gets the whole crowd cheering and applauding for him when during his introduction he declares, “I support your war of terror!” He continues with, “May George Bush drink the blood of every man, woman and child in Iraq!” - to still more cheers and applause. He then proceeds to turn the entire rodeo violently against him by singing the Kazakhstan national anthem - set to the tune of the American one. He is immediately thrown out.
It’s interesting to note that there are only four actual actors in the entire movie (though a couple of scenes, such as those involving Pamela Anderson’s kidnapping, were probably staged somewhat.) For the most part, you get to see Americans’ straightforward, unfiltered responses to this friendly, excitable, and naively offensive character. In this way, it’s a strange sort of documentary - a relatively new style which may very well be part of its popularity. It’s also a modern retelling of the American road trip, with unconventional characters and even more unconventional filmmaking.
For all its insanity, “Borat” does have its moments of clarity. Particularly at the end of the film, when Borat concludes that “If you chase a dream, especially one with plastic chests, you can miss the real beauty in front of your eyes.” While its brand of tasteless humor may keep it out of the hallowed halls of movie classics, it’s definitely both thought- and smile- provoking and should not be missed. But go see it in a large group - the moviegoers seemed more comfortable laughing that way.