Review of Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006) by Lindam. — 04 Nov 2006

This movie works on two levels. It is a Jackass-meets Easy Rider for adolescent minds who love crudeness. It may appeal to more open-minded people who appreciate social satire. Cohen and his writers don't explore the satire any further than having Borat cluelessly utter and do the most offensive things and showing how Americans react.

Some people on his southern route from New York to L.A. exceed his unassuming crassness, racism and sexism. Because they have clues, they are mean. Others show their better natures and either try to assist this bumpkin or draw the line on decency.

As bad as the movie makes Kazakhstan look, it makes the United States look worse. Yes, you will probably laugh, but there are different reasons for laughter. Sometimes it covers a sense of discomfort.

There is a lot of that kind of laughter in this movie. That said, the hand-held camera work is very effective. Many of the small parts seem to be played by non-actors, making the story more real. The 90 minutes did not drag for me, and I followed with interest to see how many taboos Borat would break.

I lost count.