I did not want to watch the "Borat" sequel. I spent most of the last six months actively trying to avoid it, ignoring the good reviews, the awards chatter, and the various pop culture reactions. I watched the original "Borat" in a theater in 2006, and it was one of my best moviegoing experiences. I didn't like the movie all that much, finding the crude humor and garish characters more cringe-inducing than anything else, but the communal experience was amazing. And I admired Sacha Baron Cohen for his willingness to go so far in the name of satire and comedy, even if I found his output hard to take.
This time around, with the contentious election looming and COVID ramping up again, I was in no mood for anything provocative or edgy. I was already uncomfortably aware how racist, misinformed, and how self-deluded many Americans were, and didn't feel like sitting through something that was just going to confirm this in the most awkward and embarrassing way possible. I'd seen some of the clips of the Rudy Giuliani encounter and Borat's appearance at CPAC, so I figured I wasn't missing much. However, when the end of the year lists started rolling out, and the support for the film stayed strong, I got more curious. So, during my annual catch-up marathon, I made time for "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan."
I still don't much enjoy the character of Borat Sagdiyev, the fictional Kazakh reporter who is deeply racist, misogynist, and comes from a cartoonishly fictionalized Kazakhstan that represents the worst, most ignorant American views of foreigners. However, I think the "Subsequent Moviefilm" uses him better this time out. Cohen has clearer targets and a better storyline, allowing the character to evolve a little. A big part of the film's success is also due to Tutar, Borat's teenage daughter, played fearlessly by Maria Bakalova. She comes along on his latest trip to the United States, and quickly gets herself involved in her father's hijinks. Because Borat is so recognizable, he's often in disguise or puts himself in the supporting role while Tutar takes the spotlight. The two of them together are a formidable pair of troublemakers, and their relationship forms the surprisingly solid spine of the film.
Cohen and his collaborators primarily go after the Trump administration and the alt-right, visiting a March for Our Rights rally, QAnon conspiracy theorists, CPAC, and the Hillsborough Republican Women's Club, as well as more traditional targets like a crisis pregnancy center. A good chunk of the story involves Borat wanting to give Tutar as a gift to Mike Pence, so there are also trips to the plastic surgeon, a beauty salon, a social media beauty guru, and a debutante ball. Once again, Borat uncovers hypocrisy and appalling behavior wherever he goes, but there are also encounters that turn out to be surprisingly sweet and uplifting. Tutar is left in the care of a professional babysitter at one point, a woman named Jeanise Jones, who encourages her to reject plastic surgery and stand up for herself. Borat also visits a synagogue, and is gently approached and shown compassion from an old woman who turns out to be a Holocaust survivor.
So, the movie may show America is a screwed up place, but there's some hope in the mix too. Borat and Tutar get a happy ending, and the person getting the worst of the fallout from the film so far seems to be Rudy Giuliani. I also like "Subsequent Moviefilm" as a time capsule for this particular moment in American history, which already feels like it's quickly receding into the past even though the pandemic is far from over and Trump is barely out the door. If you didn't like the first "Borat" film, this one will not change your mind. I continue to roll my eyes at the scatalogical segments, and the more obvious pranks feel very old hat in the era of internet nasties like Jake Paul.
Still, it's weirdly comforting to have Borat back in action, showing us how ridiculous we are. It might be gallows humor, but these days a little laughter goes a long way.
---
No comments:
Post a Comment