Barnes & Noble

The comedy sensation of 2006, Borat is deceptive in concept and fundamentally mean-spirited in execution -- but it's also hysterically funny, which renders it immune to criticism. Sacha Baron Cohen, the British comedian who has submerged his own personality beneath those of his creations, plays Kazakhstani journalist Borat Sagdiyev, who comes to America with his producer, Azamat Bagatov (Ken Davitian), to make a documentary about Yankee life and culture. While in the United States, Borat sees an episode of Baywatch and becomes infatuated with Pamela Anderson, whom he vows to meet and marry. This bare-bones plot affords a framework for the movie's hilarious set pieces: interviews and interactions with real Americans, hornswoggled by Cohen into believing that they were being filmed for a genuine documentary. Borat's targets include racist southern whites, gullible (and humorless) feminists, drunken frat boys, credulous evangelicals, and even politicians, such as Georgia congressman Bob Barr and former presidential candidate Alan Keyes. One by one, they fall for Cohen's act, apparently never suspecting that they're being kidded by the ersatz journalist. The material is funny to begin with, but veteran sitcom director Larry Charles shapes and enhances it with clever editing, which pulls reaction shots out of context and thus makes some of the participants look more foolish than they might actually have been. Did Cohen take advantage of his subjects' generosity and openness? Yes, absolutely. But is the end result hilarious? Absolutely and indisputably. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

Master of disguise Sacha Baron Cohen hits the road to explore America as the crude Kazakstani reporter Borat in a feature mockumentary that brings one of the Da Ali G Show star's most popular characters to life on the big screen. Sent by the Kazakh Ministry of Information to gain a better understanding of American culture and bring his findings back home, Borat and faithful producer Azamat (Ken Davitian) set their sights in New York City. When the citizens and interview subjects of the Big Apple seem less than receptive to Borat's distinctively unrestrained approach and the curious Kazakh television personality stumbles across an episode of Baywatch while channel-surfing in his hotel room, he becomes instantly smitten with screen siren Pamela Anderson. Now confident that the only way to discover the true essence of America is to travel to California and make the bikini-clad beauty his bride, Borat purchases a ramshackle ice-cream truck in which he and Azamat will make their way across the Great Plains and on to the sunny West Coast -- all the while coming into contact with a wide variety of "typical" Americans. Within this loose, scripted framework, Borat engages in his usual misbehavior with unsuspecting strangers, from accidentally releasing a chicken from his suitcase on a New York subway ride to a formal interview with Alan Keyes. Jason Buchanan

Product Details

• UPC: 024543434276
• Source: 20TH CENTURY FOX
• Region Code: 1
• Aspect Ratio: Pre-1954 Standard (1.33.1)
• Sound: Dolby Surround, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
• Language: English, Español, Français, Russian
• Subtitles: English, Español
• Time: 1:24:00
• Sales Rank: 32,571

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