Fans of HBO's "Da Ali G Show" are already familiar with the comedic genius of Sacha Baron Cohen, and the transition to the big screen this fall is nothing short of flat-out hilarious.
Cohen, the film's co-writer and creator, takes on the role of Borat Sagdiyev, a Kazakh reporter sent overseas to document the American way of life. From greeting men with kisses on the face to open anti-Semitism and misogyny, Borat lacks any trace of western idealism and violates every cultural norm in his path.
Just like "Ali G," "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan" relies primarily on Cohen's ability to interact with unsuspecting Americans as he incorporates his limitless improvisational skills to create moments of reality-comedy gold.
The film is far more than an extended, uncut segment from the show. So much of the humor comes from the scripted scenes that shape the film's marginal storyline (which actually revolves around a quest to gain Pam Anderson's hand in marriage).
The merging of the show's reality-TV effect with the loose script is so flawless that the audience is often left guessing who's genuine and who's in on the gag. It's here that director Larry Charles ("Seinfeld," "Curb Your Enthusiasm") shines as an accomplished director of plot-on-the-backburner comedy.
The joined forces of Cohen and Charles make for more laughs than any movie in recent memory. For a college audience that's becoming all too familiar with domestic and global anxieties, "Borat" almost seems like the perfect relief.
As an actor, Cohen's talent cannot be overstated. In the tradition of Jim Carrey as Ace Ventura or Will Ferrell as Ron Burgundy, Cohen truly becomes Borat. What's equally impressive is his ability to stay in character when it becomes obvious that the innocent people he's interacting with want absolutely nothing to do with him. He deserves an award just for being able to keep a straight face.
The film's only drawback is the possibility that too many people will now recognize the lanky, moustache-wearing character, disabling Cohen's ability to keep the character affective for future films or seasons of "Ali G."
As one might expect, the film opens with Borat giving a tour of his hometown in Kazakhstan. The pace is set for what's to follow with rapid-fire jokes and concentrated obsceneness which include Borat making out with a gorgeous Kazakh girl before proudly introducing her as his sister, "the number four prostitute in whole of Kazakhstan."
It's this type of crude, culturally based humor that makes the potentially offensive moments in the movie (and there are plenty) rather painless to digest. The humor is so skilled and so over the top that even the most blaring political and social "caution tapes" are shredded in good taste.
Although a main utility of "Borat" is to get laughs out of race and religion, rest assured, this is isn't "Mind of Mencia"-type humor, where racial jokes are made just for the sake of making them. Cohen's technique is far more tactful and unexpectedly sophisticated. His infiltration of the cultural divides in America yields more witty satire than any comedian in the mainstream.
Virtually unknown, Ken Davitian is sensational as Borat's furry, obese sidekick Azabat. The chemistry between the two is perfect and their subtitled dialogue is consistently hilarious. Brace yourself for a naked fight scene that makes all other male nudity sequences look tame.
"Borat" takes the "greatest country in the world" by storm on Nov. 3.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
