Excellent synthesis of controversial character is nevertheless starting to show wear and tear

Rating: 7/10 (22 February 2007)

Although worthy of nearly all the praise it has received, I must still confess that a torrential downpour of critical and public applause garnered with Borat's feature film debut left me asking where all the actual belly laughs were. Granted, being a fan of Sacha Baron Cohen's earlier HBO show does not help, as so much of the material Cohen uses, while admirably delivered and always uncomfortably topical, often recycles itself, usually to a point that fans of the comedic giant's past work would immediately recognize many of the lines uttered throughout this depraved travelogue.
What separates the film incarnation from so many well delivered Ali G episodes does however justify a distinct appreciation. The well executed method finds loosely scripted, fictionalized plot setup running side-by-side with real world outings in which our Kazakh hero traverses the American landscape, brutally and unabashedly holding up reflections of ignorance for a general viewing public to revel in. These shocking, tension filled improvisational spats Borat engages in with all facets of the American public make for the most substantial segments, although in all honesty I was hoping for more subtle awkwardness then brash vulgarity. For too much of the films brief length, Cohen tries to shock viewers into contributing to the whirlwind of controversy the movie became, and by and large the excessive graphic nudity detracted from the flights of brilliance; what could have became one of modern film's most offbeat and unusual fight scenes became a cheap and blatant attempt at gross out theatrics.
Though the pseudo-documentary may play the cheap cards a little too often considering Mr. Cohen's immense comedic talent, the foolish emotional arc that drove this tiny plot added a needed angle to Borat's film incarnation, helping flesh out much of the one-dimensionality. Strict fans may be a little disappointed with constant references from previous jokes, but the rest of the nation should continue to echo the praise this movie has garnered for being one of the most daring, relevant comedies to challenge society in years.