see as it was.

non-fiction set ups to create massive discomfort, and in the process, revealing both the light and dark of it's subjects. In fact, I found myself having a tough time labeling it. Although it is a definite step in the direction of "Jackass", it holds some of the same relevance as a Michael Moore documentary. Sasha Baren Cohen tears us apart with laughs, and in doing so, holds a mirror up to America in ways twice as revealing as any Michael Moore voice over ever could.This film, if Fox has the guts to really give it the push it deserves, could signal a dramatic shift and appeal to a very wide 20-30 yr old, left wing, educated demographic.This film is truly an incredible thing to witness. My film of the year thus far.

before I saw it because movies have a way of destroying all expectations brought forth from another medium but this film lives up to the challenge. Anyone who is a fan of the show will find themselves on the edge of their seats, trying not to spray urine on those close to them. We ran into Sacha after the screening and he gave us word that the release date was sometime over the summer, nothing specific but definitely something to look forward to.

served a gorgeously condensed introduction to our character in his village in Kazakhstan. This segment was possibly the biggest crowd-pleaser in my theatre and perhaps rightly so, for I would call it the film's goldmine in terms of sheer laugh-out-loud humour. Here we are introduced to Borat's sister "She is number-four prostitute in whole of Kazakhstan." , whom he kisses on the mouth, his main interests ping-pong, sunbathing and "watch ladies make toilet" as well as a wide variety of hilarious native Kazakhs. Undoubtedly the success of the introduction stems from a combination of novelty and a culture shock.Once the sprawling surge of Kazakhstani culture subsides, Borat flies to New York City to make a movie-film about the glorious US and A. The booming Russian ethnic score melts into Harry Nilsson's "Everybody's Talking' At Me" and the film gets ambitious: it spoofs Jon Voight's incongruous cowboy character walking down Manhattan in Midnight Cowboy 1969 . This I found a pleasant surprise, but the referential spoofs end here and the rest is all Sascha Baron Cohen – and we couldn't be happier.The second half of Borat is arguably less compelling. It is hard to tell why, for the humour remains consistently good and there is an almost exponential stupidity with our Borat character as the sets out to go to California to marry Pamela Anderson. I would not go as far as to say the novelty "wears off", but we are a little more settled now and Borat has found his safe footing. Next, however, the film totally floors whatever safeness you may have with one of the most unspeakably graphic hotel room scenes I have ever seen. I won't give anything away, but rest assured that some viewers *males* will watch in horrified silence while others will literally cramp up from laughing so violently. I belong more to the latter category.As Borat travels through America, there is a wealth of juxtapositions to be found when he interacts with the people – members of the white house, television broadcasters, etiquette teachers, Christian fundamentalists and Jews – all offers layered hilarity and a consistent cloud of laughter kept hovering in the air. Sadly, it was not always directed toward Borat but most of the time but toward some truly idiotic hick Americans. When I was informed the film used many candid takes, I can only hope the unreasonably creepy Jesus convention was *not* one of them.In conclusion, "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan 2006 " is a towering comedy achievement. It is apparent that Sascha Baron Cohen has done something truly cool here and has created an anti-semitic, misogynist and bigoted character that aptly embodies all racy taboos. As an actor he is unmistakably brave and uninhibited, which makes it easy for the film to lose itself in a tornado of gags, spoofs, bizarre one-liners and graphic jokes. The most fun I've had in a theatre since...forever!!!9 out of 10

the hilarity of how he does it. He again proves what people will do for the camera and how people's true colors shine when they meet someone with more radical beliefs than their own. I left the theater saying "wow wow wee waaaaa"!!!

more films based on his wild characters. After seeing the whole movie, I was left wondering if all those people it is were actors or real people being caught off guard.

message to be had from "Borat" and I'm not sure there is much of one, beyond its fascinating cultural experiments , it's that everyone needs to lighten up and not take themselves so seriously.The image of Americans projected in this film varies from the heartwarming to the downright frightening. New Yorkers threaten Borat with physical violence when he approaches them on a subway. Feminists walk out on him when they find his views on women too much to tolerate. Folks out in the heartland commiserate with him over his hatred of gays and Jews; a gun shop owner even helps him pick out the best weapon for shooting Jewish people. A sweet Jewish couple give him a place to sleep, and bring him a homey meal that is, before they turn into invading cockroaches . A group of manic Pentecosts help him find Jesus. An RV full of frat boys make complete asses of themselves by espousing their hopelessly ill-informed views on minorities in our country and the need to revert to slavery. The majority of people treat Borat in the condescending way of those who want to think of themselves as being culturally aware without really knowing anything at all about other cultures. These people become rude the second Borat offends their sense of propriety. On the other hand, the disenfranchised of America greet Borat with open arms, and we see a group of gays and a group of blacks interacting with him as if no cultural boundaries existed at all. The film's sweetest and most unexpectedly so moments come from Borat's befriending of a black prostitute.Of course, this is a carefully crafted work of fiction, and Cohen only lets his audience see what he wants them to see. I would probably react much the same as many of the people in this film if this crazy-looking and sounding man appeared out of nowhere and began to antagonize me. But the movie does make Americans look like a bunch of awfully self-important, uptight stiffs, and I've been to enough places in this country and met enough people to realize that the way events play out in this film even if they are manipulated or staged probably come very close to the real thing.Thank God for movies like "Borat." If nothing else, they remind us that our cultural boundaries only matter as much as we let them, and that all of the fears that govern political correctness are mostly ungrounded. After all, virtually every person in this film was offended at one point or another, and as far as I can tell, all of them lived to tell about it.Grade: A

are covered.It's sad, really, when reality rankles your sensibilities.

comic mayhem, but, historically, that is the gist of comedy: "candid camera" anyone? Borat is raw and funny and an honest look at not just America, but people in general, and the social dynamics that shape their behavior and their lives. The range and layers of Cohen's humor is extraordinary. He is capable of physical comedy, spontaneous wit, and humorous social commentary all in one fell swoop. Amazing. I recommend "Borat" whole-heartedly and object to the "haters" who are either too dense or too mentally disturbed to appreciate this film.