Sacha Baron Cohen is a household name in Britain where his Ali G show is hit; and while the sketch comedy is broadcast here as well, the fan base is considerably smaller. That's about to change with Borat: Cultural Learnings of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, featuring one of the many characters from the show. And while the comedy is hilarious and cutting, it's definitely offensive and politically incorrect.
Borat (Cohen) is the unknowledgeable journalist who asks the most impertinent and ignorant questions to unsuspecting subjects, often eliciting the wildest of reactions. In the film he's in his hometown in Kazakhstan where he introduces the locals through terrible clichés (no wonder the Kazakhstan government is upset about the film). As the sixth best-known reporter in his country, Borat flies to New York with producer Azamat Bagatov (Ken Davitian) to interview locals about American customs. But his secret dream is to meet Pamela Anderson, and it comes true when he attends a rodeo that sums up his unique methodology. When Borat tells the crowd that he's a Kazak who supports their country's "war of terror" and wishes that "George Bush may drink the blood of every man, woman and child in Iraq," things start getting ugly.
Borat is a fast-paced series of such vignettes that are wonderfully executed and eliciting tons and tons or laughter. Admittedly they're guilty laughs considering the tasteless humour, but Cohen is unstoppable and irresistible. And to the filmmakers' credits, the movie never goes farther than it's supposed to, so its lean running time adds to the enjoyment.
Those without a sense of humour should stay away, the rest should definitely check out Borat.

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