Released: 23rd October 2020
Length: 96 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Director: Jason Woliner
Starring: Sacha Baron Cohen and Maria Bakalova
Back in 2006, Sacha Baron Cohen’s Borat had a lot to ridicule in American society. The character became quite the sensation, achieving enormous popularity among the masses. Some fourteen years later, the Kazak journalist is back to comment on America’s current political crisis, and get at a few unsavoury individuals along the way.
For the uninitiated, Borat Sagdiyev is a fictional journalist from Kazakhstan who unintentionally deconstructs the ignorance problems he encounters in the western world. In a stark contrast with comedies that rely on fictional storylines, the man captures real reactions on camera, never breaking character to fool the people he comes across and thus uncovering their more bigoted tendencies. From the moment he arrives in Texas, the sequel is quick to acknowledge the protagonist’s fame and it cuts back and forth between him and his daughter Tutar (played by Maria Bakalova).
The various skits and escapades unfold like you would expect, but unlike its predecessor, Subsequent Moviefilm has a handful of more heartfelt moments that balance out the raunchier sequences. Without giving anything away, Borat comes to some realisations in the movie and makes some progress in his own views when treated with kindness by others. In short, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm is unapologetic in its satire targets, and this ensures that all the jokes land hit bull’s-eyes. The clueless persona of Sacha’s performance just makes it all the funnier, as does the narration, which continues to deftly set up each scene.
The writing and pacing are again fantastic; Baron Cohen slides back into the role and crafts the events effortlessly. Rather than carrying it on his own, Maria Bakalova brings another dimension to the proceedings. Tutar’s childish demeanour trickles away, which leads to many wacky cases of misunderstood contexts; pair the two together and you’ve got a new range of controversial topics to take advantage of. However silly it may be, the film creates great chemistry between the two characters. Through both their performances and the background to their roles, the sheer disconnect the duo has with the real-life figures in America makes for great comedy.
Making use of the same handheld style that made the first film so intimate, Subsequent Moviefilm once again gives us an intimate look at the biting satire in all its frivolous abandon. Cutting between multiple close angles, we never leave the perspective of the main characters, who are often seen viewing political figures off in the distance or interacting directly with American citizens. Over time, you’ll be left wondering just how they got away with many of these stunts; if the recent political backlash is anything to go by, Cohen has made himself many enemies all over again. Though for us, the humour is the real reward.
A brilliantly fitting production for the mad times we live in, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm is an utterly hilarious satire that perfectly adapts to today’s polarising landscape. As with the original film, some moments may be hard to stomach, particularly with regard to America’s current predicament. Yet it’s still one of the funniest films you’ll see all year; if you enjoyed the first flick, you’ve likely have seen it already.
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars (Brilliant)
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