Someone, think of the censors!

Brutally shocking and funny, ‘Borat’ paints an obscene and poignant image of American life

A film review by James McEchron

This movie will be misunderstood.

There will be the easily offended who insist it be banned. There will be the flag waving Americans who deem it unpatriotic. There will be Kazakhstani’s who find it demeans, twists, and insults their culture and heritage.

But most people, who are willing to step past the controversy, will find “Borat” is not only the big bad wolf of the P.C. age but also the funniest movie of the new millennium. Yes, you heard right. There is not one other movie in the last six years which comes even close to the laughter “Borat” generates. Forget “Napoleon” and “Libre”. You will laugh until you wheeze and cry.

Why, you ask? After all, “Borat” is obscene and insulting. It’s vulgar to the point of revolting. But at the heart of the lewd jokes is a portrait of our country that is far more dangerous (and funny) than the film itself.

Sacha Baren Cohen, who developed and played the Borat character in the movie (and HBO series ‘Da Ali G Show’), is so readily hated by many in the film that the undercurrent of racism and intolerance in our country slips out. As Borat travels across the country, interviewing real people who really do dislike “them Middle Easterns,” you may find yourself looking at the person next to you in shock. And that may not be what you expect to find shocking here. But Cohen is clearly saying something about our country, the way we shield ourselves from obscenity, and the way we hide our hatred under political correctness.

But enough about that. It is more than easy to put aside the politics of “Borat”. Some people may even miss it or disagree that it is even there. The good news is the movie is funny. Really, really, funny. Cohen is an expert with the character, never losing his artificial accent or his knack for absurd comments. Much of the comedy is improvised, as Cohen rants on end with everyone from a group of feminists to an etiquette coach about his puzzling home life, all of whom assume that because he is foreign he must live in a ridiculous fashion.

The plot suggests a fairly standard road trip movie. Borat falls in love, loses love, hits rock bottom, and is eventually redeemed. But all of this is done in such a non-traditional manner that it appears fresh. The love story is unorthodox and entirely appropriate for the character; the redemption is fairly standard as far as films go, but Cohen has somehow made this revolting character likeable. In a nutshell, the film aims high and hits just about all of its targets. It is shocking, controversial, insightful and memorable. What more could you want from a comedy?

“Borat” explores America in search of what makes us tick with the intention of reporting back to Kazakhstan. But in the end, Cohen has found what makes us the country we are for our own benefit. This is political satire at its stealthiest, littered with comedic bits that raise the bar on what is acceptable in mainstream cinema. “Borat” is the measuring stick future comedies will have to meet. It will be misunderstood for all the reasons an important movie should be; people will question its value and insist it is damaging our society. It couldn’t be better.