| The
bad taste of 'Borat'
By Ryan Pence
November 8, 2006 | I feel that someone should know
to some degree what he or she is getting into. That
was the case with Borat. I had seen the trailers
and I had a rough understanding that this movie would
be in bad taste. How bad of taste? I wasn’t quite sure,
but I soon found out and when I left the movie theatre
a bad “after” taste lingered in my mouth.
Story. The story is simple. Borat, a news
reporter, is sent to the United States from Kazakhstan
to report on the United States culture and to hopefully
encourage Kazakhstan’s population to pick up on the
habits and customs in the U.S. to better reform their
own country. When Borat gets to the U.S., the obvious
and predictable happens, major culture shock, blown
completely out of proportion and hammed up to the Nth
degree.
Borat starts out in New York City, but after watching
an episode of Baywatch he falls in love will
Pamela Anderson. So, with his producer they start out
on a trek to California to find Pamela Anderson. They
make various stops along the way that insure that Borat
continues to insult people with his cultural indifferences.
Problems. The movie at heart is a video mockumentary
about the news reporter. Borat who comes to America.
Although it was meant to be in a documentary style the
movie still retained a very strong story telling narrative.
Because of the cross between styles the feeling of the
film gets muddled a little bit and the pacing starts
to drag.
A big problem with the film is surprisingly the main
reason you watch the film, the cultural diversity. The
movie forces upon the audience members situation after
situation a blatantly offensive material, don’t worry
there’s something in this movie for everyone. It almost
felt like the filmmakers were trying to match the Monty
Python gang punch for punch in the truly bad tasting
market, for material that offends practically everyone.
Unfortunately, Borat collapses under its own weight
and Monty Python reins supreme with its comic wit and
timing.
Bottom Line. The movie started out on strong
footing introducing the audience to the bad tasting
humor that should have been it truly funny. But because
of its shallow Saturday Night Live skittishness
it became overly drawn out and the movie started to
feel long. Forty-five minutes into the movie the jokes
started to draw terribly thin and monotonous, the rest
were just in very bad taste. Think of this movie as
just one really bad joke that you’d save your very best
pity laugh on.
Rating. Rated R, for language and nudity.
Ryan’s Picks. If it’s a mockumentary
you want well here are some you might want to check
out.
This is Spinal Tap. A mockumentary that pretty
much defined the genre Spinal Tap is a UK rock band
touring in the United States and we’re along for the
ride. This movie is as fast paced, as it is funny. It’s
an original and if you’re a fan of eighties rock where
loud is cool and louder is even cooler then this is
the movie for you.
Waiting for Guffman. A local community theatre
director who is know for his amazingly intense productions
gets wind of the possibility of a Broadway Producer,
Guffman, to show up and watch an up and coming production.
The community gets all excited about this prospect of
taking their show to Broadway that all sense and rhythm
go out the window during the preparations.
The Mighty Wind. For fans of bluegrass and
folk music you don’t miss this mockumentary about the
bringing together of the greatest groups of these musical
styles into one big musical event. The premise is funny
and the music is wonderful.
MS
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