Excellent comedy that showcases the weirdness of Americans

Rating: 10/10 (14 November 2006)

For those familiar with Borat from "The Ali G Show" this movie does not break much new ground. After all, the mannerisms of Southerners with delusions of grandeur have served as fodder for him before. But the movie blends fantasy with reality, forming a delightful little saga, peppered with American idiots.
Baron Cohen is one nervy guy. It took serious balls to go through with the rodeo sequence, which took place in southwestern Virginia, particularly after the "pep talk" and appearance advice he received from the rodeo organizer. Baron Cohen's guerrilla approach to the situations depends on his ability to stay in character and to continually step over the line, until his subjects rebel. The genius of his characters--for Ali G and Bruno perform a similar type of provocation--is that he really does nothing but present his small-minded targets with situations that elicit gut reactions from them. Politeness versus political correctness versus true feelings--this is the struggle that Borat's "teachers" face. Some of the Americans are obviously uncomfortable with the racist or otherwise offensive comments of Borat, while others appear only too happy to have found a sympathizer with their own, barely-suppressed prejudice.
For me, the most appalling of all the "targets" were the fraternity brothers. The other audience members in the theater perhaps felt the same, because the laughter that had punctuated the showing of the movie up to that point (and that resumed afterwards) died out. Whether the drunken frat boy too much resembled some of the audience members, or if they were dismayed by the unflattering portrayal of the condoned and even celebrated drunken oaf of American culture, I do not know. I do know that the boorish, white male supremacist opinions of the frat boys, combined with their carefully cultivated, clichéd image (the rich trust fund baby who is too drunk and sloppy to comb his hair, but who opens up a fresh package of Brooks Brothers shirts every week) repelled me more than anything Borat could have done or said. The latest news is that these same frat boys, embarrassed by their own behavior, are suing 20th Century Fox, claiming that they were somehow duped into revealing their latent misogyny and bigotry. Poor, spoiled babies.
This film is funny, provocative, and it will make you think about the differences between "marketed" American culture and "real" American culture. Highest recommendation.