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

Larry Charles directs Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan and it is one hell of a comedy. It is, by far, one of the funniest comedies of all time and is among the best films of 2006. The set-ups are pure genius and the ballsy British comic Sacha Baron Cohen’s Borat puts himself in situations that are not only hilarious, but dangerous.

Borat is shot as a documentary, using splices of real people and their real reactions with some carefully scripted moments between the film’s few actors. Borat is traveling to America with his producer, Azamat Bagatov (Ken Davitian), to find out what he can about how Americans live. Borat has some serious trouble with some of America’s customs and the misunderstandings erupt in hilarious moment after hilarious moment.

The reactions of real-life Americans to Borat’s antics are by far the highlights of this tremendously clever film. The controversial Borat was banned in several countries, including all Arab countries and Lebanon, because of the “viewpoints” expressed. The views are expressed by an ignorant Borat, however, and the real reactions of various Americans to these otherwise obscene and absurd viewpoints are truly telling.

Cohen is, himself, a Jew. This makes the biting satire even more genius, as the Jew-fearing Borat and Azamat head from one town in America to another filming their documentary. The film simply contains too many great scenes to mention and contains far too much content within its 84 minute run-time to do any justice to. Borat is truly a comedy classic.

Cohen won the 2007 Golden Globe award for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy. The award is well deserved as Cohen proves that he one of the ballsiest comedians around, outdoing many of America’s “shock comics” in scene after scene of boldness and gutsy bravado that nearly gets poor Borat killed or lynched. That is the mark of truly classic comedy; it is at once dangerous and ultimately shocking in its hilarity. Borat pulls no punches and nothing is sacred.

There will likely be many copycats in terms of Borat, but the reality is that there is only one Sacha Baron Cohen. Cohen is truly amazing, incredibly conducting this parade of comedic chaos through the duration of the film and leaving a wake of belly laughs and shocking reactions. It is truly one of a kind and we will never see another film like it. Chenquieh.

Trailer: