#DaniPopescu

[film-book]

Film Review: BORAT SUBSEQUENT MOVIEFILM (2020): Iconic Sacha Baron Cohen Character Returns to Lambast America in a Non-Revelatory but Still Necessary Way https://tinyurl.com/y429sdr5

[doomonfilm]

Review : Borat Subsequent Moviefilm [Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan] (2020)

For those who’ve lived under a rock the past 20 years, Sacha Baron Cohen has built a surprisingly substantial career off of the back of three unique characters he is able to embody : British rap/thug wannabe Ali G, the fashion-obsessed and not so bright Bruno, and his most popular character, foreign journalist and shock interviewer Borat.  After a brief stint on British television’s Channel 4 and a follow-up stint at HBO, Cohen began to transition his characters into the film realm.  The Ali G movie stayed in the narrative story realm, but Cohen pushed the boundaries with the 2006 release of Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan.  Using a blend of edgy comedy and hidden camera interviews, the film immediately became not only a monumental success, but it made the Borat character a cultural icon.  With all of the madness that has taken place in the year 2020, it only makes sense that Cohen would release a follow-up, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan.

After humiliating his native country of Kazakhstan with the release of his previous film, journalist Borat Sagdiyev (Sacha Baron Cohen) finds himself serving a lifelong prison sentence.  In light of the Donald Trump presidency, however, Kazakhstan Premier Nursultan Nazarbayev (Dani Popescu) releases Borat under the condition that he head back to the United States of America to deliver a present to Trump : Kazakh Minister of Culture Johnny the Monkey.  Unfortunately, due to actions taken during his previous visit, Borat is forced to adjust the target of his gift, opting instead to deliver the gift to Vice President Mike Pence.  After a brief visit to his former home, which has been stolen by his neighbor, Borat learns that he has a daughter, Tutar Sagdiyev (Maria Bakalova), whom he meets with before leaving to the USA.  Upon arriving, he learns that Tutar has not only stowed herself away and ended up in the USA, but she has killed Johnny the Monkey in the process.  With his life on the line, Borat decides to offer his newly acquired daughter to Mike Pence instead of Johnny the Monkey, leading to a series of madcap adventures as the duo gets closer and closer to those tasked with leadership of the free world.

In the true spirit of what sequels are all about, Borat Susbsequent Moviefilm takes everything hilarious, shocking and politically incorrect with the first movie and amplifies it drastically.  The cameo appearances are by bigger names, the Borat costume that Cohen often dons becomes a second skin as he then dons even more outrageous costumes (including a KKK robe at one point), and the locations that he visits are more extreme, including a direct sit-down interview with America’s Mayor Rudy Guiliani that instantly became the talk of viewers.  Rather than embarking on an educational trip similar to the first film, the sequel finds Borat attempting to have an actual influence on American events, with the payoff of this journey not only being incredibly timely, but bordering about as close to poor taste as you can get before you cross the line, to a very hilarious effect.  

The aforementioned political-incorrectness that has become the Borat trademark is on full display in this sequel.  Be it taking the already somewhat shocking practice of a debutante ball and turning it into a disgusting farce, investigating cultural norms and the foreign father/daughter dynamic in the most unruly means possible, or upping the ante of invading public gatherings by picking political rallies rather than county fairs and the like, it’s hard not to be genuinely shocked at what Cohen was able to get away with and capture on film.  Stories have even come out in wake of the film’s release that many people were genuinely surprised to find out they’d been had, such as the woman tasked with babysitting Tutar in the middle portion of the film.

If you’re a fan of The Ali G Show, or the original Borat film, then this film gives you more of what you’ve come to love, and in larger doses.  The production value has certainly been raised, with the additional costumes that Borat dons being sufficient enough to fool many people who should have easily recognized the situation they were in.  Even minor parts of the film, such as the cartoon about Melania Trump that Tutar watches for inspiration, are done well enough to pique viewer interest... I honestly wouldn’t mind seeing an uncut version of said cartoon at some point.  For a film that seems like such a lark on the outset, the writing is surprisingly strong, with the resolution of the film being not only timely (as previously mentioned), but providing a narrative swerve that, while making sense in hindsight, I honestly did not see coming.

While Sasha Baron Cohen could probably do these characters in his sleep, it’s truly amazing to see him so naturally embody such a wide range of characterizations... at one point, he is put into isolation with a group of people, meaning he more than likely played that character for days on end, which is truly an impressive feat.  Maria Bakalova easily holds her own in the role of Borat’s daughter, embracing the shock and awe her character takes part in with a joy and innocence that is befitting of a marginalized woman from a misogynist land.  Dani Popuscu has the air of dismissive authority looming over his performance, making the end play wonderfully well.  While these three do the lion’s share of the performance work, supporting performances by Manuel Vieru, Miroslav Tolj, Ion Gheorghe, Nicolae Gheorghe and Nicoleta Ciobanu, as well as cameos by Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, Mike Pence and Rudy Giuliani round out the cast.

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, much like its predecessor, is a film that must be seen to be believed, although I do NOT recommend this film for the sensitive or overly serious.  If you’re able to suspend disbelief, set aside your politics and morals for a couple of hours, and enjoy the occasional shock to the system, however, jump on your Amazon Prime account and check this one out.