Could have been better - but only slightly

Rating: 7/10 (7 November 2006)

I had three days to digest this movie. Let me tell you why I didn't write the review right away: the movie put me off from the start, and I barely recovered by the end of it. Don't get me wrong: I loved the character on Da Ali G show - I have been watching the episodes since they first appeared on cable. That is why I was anxious to go see the movie. But he went terribly wrong in the opening sequence. His shtick as being from the most backward place in the world works as long as he doesn't make it real. When he uses it only as a reference in his skits, to make the situations even more humorous, it creates a surreal, abstract idea of that "Weird Kazakhstan" country. It works because this detached and abstract image is obviously not meant to offend Kazakhstan. Rather it is a tool to make fun of U.S. and A. BUT, making it real, making us actually a witness to the going-ons in the village of Borat - well that kills it for me! That opening scene made me so embarrassed, so surprisingly uncomfortable, that I suddenly had a jolt of fear rip through me: Is this the sign of things to come? This is going to be horrible! Well, thankfully I was wrong, 90% wrong that is. The movie went on with the usual wit and prickly humor that made it so special in the first place. I loved most of the scenes that dealt with bigotry, hate, and uproarious naked spectacle that is human nature. At its best, this movie is a study in sociology, psychology, and anthropology all at the same time. Unfortunately, at its worst it is gross physical humor more suited to fraternity boys. This occasional swing to the realm of "Jackass" marred the otherwise flawless intellectualism of this movie. I also felt that most of the editing that was done to emphasize the point - i.e. make it seem more exaggerated than it really was (such as ALL New Yorkers were shown as rude and unfriendly - as if he didn't encounter a SINGLE one who was nice to him) - should have been done in moderation. It was obvious that scenes were edited to serve the purpose of the movie - which would have been fine - to an extent. However, the dosage we get in this movie puts everything Cohen did in America in doubt. A sort of "How much DID they cut out to make this scene work?" Thus DEFEATING the very premise of the movie - that we are supposed to BELIEVE that everyone in the represented group would always behave in the same exact fashion. Nonetheless, what makes this movie work on the whole is it's ability to create an urgent need for someone in the movie to go "Borat, what the heck is WRONG with you?" But no one ever does! And that's the greatest thing of all! Well - one star off for the wrong opening, one star off for the frat boy comedy, and one star off for the editing. And this movie is getting the most solid 7 stars - leaning towards 8.