‘Borat Subsequent Moviefilm’ is an instant classic

Sacha Baron Cohen delivers outstanding sequel to 2006 movie

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Fair use from 20th Century Fox.

Tobias Khabie

After 14 long years, comedy and satire fans were once again graced by Borat Sagadiyev, the fourth-best journalist in all of Kazakhstan. After “Borat” came out in 2006, the character played by comedic legend Sacha Baron Cohen has been idolized for exposing humanities’ flaws while making people shed tears of laughter simultaneously. In a time when we all needed him most, Borat is back, releasing “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” Oct. 23.

Borat is known for filming his interactions with non actors. Both “Borat” movies are made up of a cast that was not aware they were being filmed for a movie. This makes for hilarious yet sobering scenes, as Cohen tends to target those who are racist, antisemitic, sexist or who hold any other prejudice. For example, in the now infamous scene in “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,” former New York City Mayor and personal lawyer to President Trump, Rudy Giuliani, was shown with his hands down his pants for an extended period of time in the presence of Borat’s daughter Tutar (Maria Bakalova). Giuliani had just finished an interview with Tutar, who is 15 years old. The scene made headlines even before the movie was released. According to Fox News, Giuliani claimed he was just tucking his shirt in.

Both films are filled with moments like these, exposing people from all walks of life, which makes the “Borat” series so hilarious yet disturbing. In fact, “Borat” was such an amazing movie I was skeptical the sequel could live up to the hype. To my pleasant surprise, I couldn’t be further from the truth.

The movie starts with Borat in a work camp after bringing shame to Kazakhstan because of the events in his first movie. However, the government gives him a chance to redeem himself by delivering the Kazakh Minister of Culture, who is a monkey, to Vice President Pence. He would have tried to deliver the monkey to Trump, however in the first movie Borat is seen defecating outside Trump Tower. The crazy start to the movie leads to even more unusual events, each funnier than the next.

The wonky plot, which at points makes absolutely no sense, is only part of what makes the movie so funny. Cohen and Bakalova constantly work together to make everyone around them extremely uncomfortable, which is a theme throughout all of Cohen’s work. 

The only knock on this movie is that it does not live up to its prequel. “Borat” is such an unique film that its glory simply cannot be recreated. However, this is less of a critique of “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” and more of a praise towards the original.

Overall, Borat and his adventures will have audiences around the world rolling on the floor laughing, as Cohen once again delivers a brilliantly funny movie. As Borat would say, “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” is ‘very nice!’

 

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: ★★★★★