Not constantly funny, but hilarious in places

Rating: 7/10 (15 November 2006)

I have to say, I went into this film with high expectations. Borat was always the funniest character on "Da Ali G Show" and Sacha Baron Cohen is undoubtedly a talented comedian, but somehow this film feels like an overlong sketch, and isn't as consistently funny as the segments on Da Ali G Show. However, that's not to say that Borat is in any way a failure - Cohen delivers his lines with brilliant comic timing, and there are several real standout moments in this film. Borat is presented as documentary made for Kazakhstan television, and the base plot is that TV presenter Borat is off to America in order to report on the cultural differences between the two nations. We are introduced to Borat first in Kazakhstan where he tells us of the seedy goings on in his local town. From there, we go with the Kazakhstan man to the USA, where he talks to various people before catching a glimpse of Pamela Anderson on Baywatch, and deciding to relocate the documentary to California; where he hopes to track down and marry the sinful Baywatch blonde.
A lot of this film is like watching a train wreck waiting to happen. For example, at one point in the film; we discover that Borat is going to have a chat with a group of feminists, and it's not hard to imagine what's going to happen! Most of the humour focuses on the central character and the situations he gets himself into thanks to the fact that they apparently do things differently in Kazakhstan. The fact that the film relentlessly pokes fun at the Kazakhstan people means that I'm not surprised it wasn't well received over there, although I can't say it really bothers me all that much. The thing about Borat is that he's not poking fun 'his people', but rather poking fun at the world view of sensitive topics such as anti-Semitism, terrorism, homophobia and racism. Cohen's style of comedy puts the people being interviewed at the brunt of the joke, and half the time these people deserve this treatment for their extreme views (the rodeo sequence is of particular note in this respect). My main problem with this film is that it doesn't really leave a lasting impression on the viewer...although you have to respect the star for his willingness to constantly put himself in risky situations.