Borat - a bad example or comedy gold?

Rating: 7/10 (10 September 2009)

Ahh, yes. What can be better than a mockumentary? A mockumentary with Sacha Baron Choen. This is the hit movie Borat.
Borat is a fictional character who lives in Kazakhstan, along with his wife, sister and mother (and the village people) and works for a TV station. After a brief introduction to his village and its "charming" inhabitants, the primitive fellow explains his task: he is being dispatched to the US to report on the country. That, he hopes, will help Kazakhstan become a better country, by having an example. But Borat doesn't fit well among the Americans, always causing trouble or behaving improperly. The report turns into a journey across the US when Borat falls in love with Pamela Anderson after watching Baywatch.
Borat is a hilarious character, the image of a village man, who doesn't know much about manners, high society and life in general. With his accent, conversation skills and goofy moustache, Borat became a symbol of comedy.
The movie is anything but flawless. First of all, the village doesn't resemble a Kazakh village at all, none of the villagers look Kazakh, not even Borat. Well, believe it or not, the village is Romanian. It's funny (if you understand the language) to listen to what the people are actually saying, since the translation is different. The movie is controversial, Kazakhstan is not populated by Borats, but the movie wants us to believe so. It creates the image of a country populated by anti-semites and unintelligent brutes.
Most explanations are in Russian – most of the word are spelt wrong. Apparently nobody proofread the script It's a daring movie, it's hilarious, it's clever, it's controversial, it's not a perfect cinema piece, but it still is great. Does the movie show the real America? That's for you to decide.
Final Score: 3.5/5 or 7/10