Face it: the once devastatingly sharp blade of Sacha Baron Cohen's Khazakstani comedic creation has dulled. Here is why. When Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan came out in 2006, it was "laugh like you might die laughing" funny. The fake reporter format Cohen had perfected on TV was set free in feature film form, and it upended the culture in more ways than one. From the endless repetitions of his catch-phrases to the inability of people to trust the intent of a camera pointed at them, Borat was arguably a game-changer. It also treads where few comedies manage to go. Borat's genius lay in making himself the clown, but using the clown to hold a mirror up to the worst part of the subjects he interviewed. In turn, he peeled back layers of American culture and revealed something hilariously ugly underneath. From a filmmaking standpoint, the degree of difficulty in a movie like Borat couldn't be higher. Cohen endangered himself physically and legally to make the film. It was bombastic, risky, and more than a little insane. Read More...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - Thursday, 29 October, 2020