Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

Review by Loc

Yes yes, make benefit, Kazakhstan, my name Borat, naaat. It’s strange when my buddy was funnier doing his Borat impersonation than the movie that spawned the hype. Yes, for as much bluster and slobbery praise that Borat has received, the movie isn’t great. It’s actually only barely good, sorta funny, and overall OK. Quick hit: as Entertainment Weekly so boldly proclaimed, Borat is the funniest movie ever, pause, naaaaat.

Here’s the thing, when you’re a stuffy old movie critic, seeing subversive, Candid Camera-type stunts pulled off on old folks like yourself, it’s damn funny. How can you not proclaim that bringing a fat, African-American “prostitute” into the home of some Georgian high-society dining club isn’t the funniest thing ever? I mean, it’s just so bold. It’s so taboo. It’s great.

Or, it’s a funny stunt. Like the stuff we see everyday on Youtube. Or sorta like the stuff we were watching on Punk’d three years ago, except without teenage popstars. If it sounds like I’m being a bit crabby, a bit like an old fart myself, well, you might be right. Or you might be wrong, because truth be told, Borat is a funny flick, but it’s not actually astounding. Regardless of the five minute naked wrestling bit. Regardless of the naked wrestling scene involving an obese hairy man and Borat’s lanky, hairy visage.

Filmed to look like a documentary, this movie follows the fictitious Borat as he travels across America shooting news bits to send back to his Kazkhstan. Personified by Sasha Baron Cohen, Borat is a mix of uncensored, likable foreigner and the unbridled, offensive, ignorant stereotype of a foreigner. Cohen has been known to breathe this character to life, as evidenced by his devotion to growing a six-week old mustache, refusing to dry-clean his suit, and only performing interviews in full character. Andy Kaufman would be so proud. High five, yeahhh.

But what might have played better as Borat riffing on clueless victims, turns out to be a pseudo-candid camera fleshing out a pretty rote plot. Borat is in search of Pamela Anderson, thus the impetus to make the cross-country trek from New York to California, in an ice cream truck, with a bear as a pet. See, these things would be funnier without a pseudo-plot mucking things up. Just have Borat touring around, vignettes all around. Nope, gotta have the ridiculous lusting after America’s sex symbol. Blah.

Besides the stupid plot, the situations that Borat stages are hit-and-miss. Meeting with feminist group, hit. Meeting with Southern dining society, hit. Drunk RV’ing with dumb college kids, mostly miss. Evangelical gathering, miss. Rodeo with singing, hit. Ah, but there’s another problem, some of the biggest hits end up dragging out. Dining society, excellent, until the prostitute arrives and we follow them in the limo to the local bar. Same type of thing when Borat and his traveling companion find themselves at odds. The fighting goes on for a tad too long.

Overall, Borat is a fun flick, but best movie ever, not even in the discussion. Not in the discussion next door. Not even on the same continent. Let’s be honest, its not even the funniest movie in this year. That title belongs to Jackass: Number Two, yeahhhhhh! Out of 5 minutes of Kazakhstan national anthem, Borat yoddles for 3 full minutes. It’s entertaining, but it isn’t greatness.