Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (DVD, 2007, Anamorphic Widescreen)

Master of disguise Sacha Baron Cohen hits the road to explore America as the crude Kazakstani reporter Borat in a feature mockumentary that brings one of the Da Ali G Show star's most popular characters to life on the big screen. Sent by the Kazakh Ministry of Information to gain a better understanding of American culture and bring his findings back home, Borat and faithful producer Azamat (Ken Davitian) set their sights in New York City. When the citizens and interview subjects of the Big Apple seem less than receptive to Borat's distinctively unrestrained approach and the curious Kazakh television personality stumbles across an episode of Baywatch while channel-surfing in his hotel room, he becomes instantly smitten with screen siren Pamela Anderson. Now confident that the only way to discover the true essence of America is to travel to California and make the bikini-clad beauty his bride, Borat purchases a ramshackle ice-cream truck in which he and Azamat will make their way across the Great Plains and on to the sunny West Coast -- all the while coming into contact with a wide variety of "typical" Americans. Within this loose, scripted framework, Borat engages in his usual misbehavior with unsuspecting strangers, from accidentally releasing a chicken from his suitcase on a New York subway ride to a formal interview with Alan Keyes. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Running Time: 84 mins
Complete Cast:
Sacha Baron Cohen - Borat Sagdiyev
Jane Sanguinetti Luenell - Luenell
Alan Keyes - Alan Keyes
Chester the Chimp - Bear
Ken Davitian - Azamat Bagatov
Pat Haggerty - Pat Haggerty
Pamela Anderson - Pamela Anderson
Charlie & Sonia - Bear

Director(s):Larry Charles
MPAA Rating: R(Profanity, Nudity, Adult Situations, Sexual Situations, Adult Humor)
Writer(s):Todd Phillips, Sacha Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines
Producer(s):Sacha Baron Cohen, Jay Roach
Technical Details:
Language:Eng/Spa/Fre/Rus
Studio:20th Century Fox
Genre:
Comedy
Awards:
2006 - Borat - American Film Institute - Best Picture
2006 - Borat - Broadcast Film Critics Association - Best Comedy Movie
2006 - Borat - Chicago Film Critics Circle - Most Promising Performer
2006 - Borat - Golden Globe - Best Actor - Comedy or Musical
2006 - Borat - L.A. Film Critics Association - Best Actor
2006 - Borat - New York Film Critics Society - Best Non-Fiction Film (Runner-up)
2006 - Borat - New York Film Critics Society - Best Actor (Runner-up)
2006 - Borat - Online Film Critics - Breakthrough Performer
2006 - Borat - San Francisco Film Critics Circle - Best Actor
2006 - Borat - Utah Film Critics Awards - Best Actor
2006 - Borat - Women Film Critics Circle - Most Offensive Male

To call Borat Sagdiyev "clueless" is a grand understatement.
Sacha Baron-Cohen's fictional Kazakh journalist, Borat, is a hillbilly from a remote, busted-down Soviet-Era backwater town, making his way around the USA, with an armload of ridiculous superstitions and misinformation (and a jar of gypsy tears "for protection").
He lays out his racist, sexist, homophobic, and anti-Semitic misconceptions for anybody unfortunate enough to be bushwhacked by him., and the results are unfathomably hilarious.
Along with furry, 5'2", 300-pound producer Azamat Bagatov (Ken Davitian), they embark on a journey to find Borat's love interest, Pamela Anderson Lee (Borat's Baywatch LOVE), and find all sorts of adventures in American culture along the way.
His appearance at a rodeo in Roanoke, Virginia, doesn't end well, to say the least. Neither do his visits to a humor coach, social-etiquette experts, an antique store, an RV full of South Carolina frat boys, a suburban-Midwest yard sale, a session with former Congressman Bob Barr., and a stop in a rural ghetto housing project where he seeks lessons on "being down".
Through it all, Borat's guileless naiveté unleashes on 100% unsuspecting victims who never realized their run-ins with "Borat" were staged for a movie. Therein, lies the pulsing heart of the true genius.
Cohen, as Borat, is passing himself off as a Russian Immigrant trying to learn American Culture., and is catching people's reactions, uncomfortable patience, or lack thereof on film. Real people who weren't prepared or asked. (This also has resulted in over 200 lawsuits filed against Cohen from many people who now realize they were duped, and also spurned over 100 calls to local Police Departments across the USA., from people offended by "Borat" in real life - this is supplied in the "Special Features" on the DVD. Even when the Police repeatedly arrive., ciy-after-city, state-after-state., Cohen never leaves character., and therein captures the Police's candid handlings hilariously too !!).
Borat goes on in the film., pursuing California to marry "PAH-Mella" (Pamela Anderson)., stopping to ask a gun dealer about "the best gun to shoot a Jew", debating with poker-faced feminists about the size of women's brains, ("like squirrel"), asking his driving instructor if he can "Make Sexy-Time" with a woman in a nearby car. And then there's a candid - RAW - naked fight between Borat and Azamat., in reality camera-action-style through a luxurious hotel lobby and Corporate Conference Hall packed with unsuspecting executives !!
Hell, he's funny enough even when he's not saying anything, with his gangly, clumsy body language, ill-fitting suit (which was reportedly not ever cleaned during the making of the movie), bushy moustache, and toothy grin.
Borat tracks down Pamela Anderson at a Califonia autograph-signing., where even she hasn't been informed of the dupe. Borat asks her to marry him, to which she refuses, (awkwardly looking for Security to remove him)., and he attacks her. Trying to bag her into a potato-like sack.
Result: a subsequent real-life melee., leaving Pam Anderson running through parking lot to flee and Police arresting "Borat". (Later, let in on the gag that "It's Just A Movie Stunt", Cohen was released and Pam Anderson even enjoyed the laugh.)
The fact that this film was immediately banned in the actual country of Kazakhstan almost right away., fuels the hilarity flame even more.
"BORAT" = 5 Stars !! Cohen = GENIUS

Quite often a movies success is dictated by the era it was released. This movie is no exception. I'm currently on the fence with Borat. On one hand it has it's genius moments and really does get you laughing. On the other, I realized that this movie is completely making fun of me and my country, the USA. And right now, in a post 9/11 world my sense of humor is wearing thin on the subject. Seems that everyone is getting their kicks in while a country is down, even by some of our own ungreatful citizens. Had this movie come out before 9/11 I'd be able to laugh without a second thought. But it bothers me that the whole film was edited to make Americans look like nothing more than uptight blue bloods, ignorant rednecks and criminal minorities. Not once did it ever show a good side. But it doesn't take an over paid movie critic to figure out that's exactly what they're going for.

Oddly enough I didn't hate this movie. I should, but I don't. As much as I didn't care for the subject matter, it was still funny. I'm actually more surprised that people were just upset by the nudity. The Borat character was very likable. I can't get enough of his silly catch phrases. But deep down, behind the laughter I'm really sad...because this is how other countries really see America. We're the bad guys until someone needs our help. Damned if we do, damned if we don't.

Borat is, at times, ridiculously funny. There are some lulls in the action, some things that make the viewer very uncomfortable, and some things that are just plain wrong (e.g. male nude wrestling), but all in all the movie is a wonderful distraction from everyday life.

I'm sure you all know the premise: Borat is a Khazikstani journalist sent to the U.S. to bring back the American way of life for his people. In the process, he gets a restraining order from Pamela Anderson, learns to dress from some homeys, nearly gets lynched for singing the wrong anthem at a rodeo, and shows off his package at every instance possible.

If you've seen the television show, then you'll know Borat is a bit hard on the Jews. And women. Well, he manages to piss off most uptight people, regardless of gender or religious view, so I guess I don't need to point that out. Just be warned: he doesn't pull punches, so if you're easily offended by something - anything at all - you may wish to reconsider viewing this film.

If you're not uptight and stuck on yourself, this film is great fun. It's refreshing to be able to laugh at things you're not normally allowed to laugh at in this overly PC touchy-feely-fest we call a country. Borat may take things a little far, but that's half the fun, wondering if he's going to cross some invisible line into extreme bad taste (most of the movie is in moderate bad taste).

Highly recommended!

Borat is the first comedy in a long time with the balls to go where most movies wouldn't dare. Sacha Baron Cohen shows us the real America through the experiences of a foreign visitor (played by Cohen - a Jewish American in disguise). It's a hilariously, eye-opening look at how racist and ignorant most of the country still is. Borat attempts to purchase a gun and asks the shop owner which gun is best for shooting Jews? The shop owner doesn't even blink at this comment and proceeds to show him a handgun! We meet college students that tell him how the country should still have slavery! The hits just keep on coming. It's not a total morality lesson, in fact it's mostly comedy. The naked wrestling scene is almost unwatchable and hilarious at the same time, while Borat's whole objective of meeting Pamela Anderson is just as funny! If you didn't know it was all an act going in, Cohen presents a very believable character in unbelivable situations! Just make sure you watch it with an open mind as it was meant to be viewed. An IQ above 100 also helps. Very nice!