Borat: It's very nice!

Before the madness that will be Bruno hits movie theaters, the world was introduced to another creation of Sacha Baron Cohen named Borat. A journalist with a peculiar slant on things in America.

Intrepid Kazahkstani journalist Borat travels to America to report on the greatest country in the world. But that endeavor is soon pushed aside when he decides to go on another quest, to find and marry Pamela Anderson.

Forget the fact that there are so many golden comedic moments during Borat that an audience found it hard to catch its collective breath (the destructive trip to the antique store and the driving lesson he undertook are shining examples), the thing they should come away with after watching the movie is a new perspective not only on themselves but of foreign opinions on Americans in general. Borat's journey across the "U.S. and A" shed light on some vicious bigotry and hatred still present in the supposedly enlightened modern American society, bigotry and hatred that seemed just as bad (if not worse) than what was going on in his backwater home of Kazahkstan. Sure there were the over the top comedic moments such as when he found an interesting way to use the facilities while he was dining with some Southerners and his naked wrestling match with his manager was enough to make any person cringe but there was a method to Cohen's madness. The viewer who simply chuckled and didn't realize they were laughing at their own ignorance and bigotry missed the point to the film. Not only this, but Cohen also took a swing at Americans obsession with celebrity and beauty. After seeing Pamela Anderson in full Baywatch mode while in an American hotel, he became obsessed and that desire to take her led to the cross country trek. Once he finally met her however, he came to realize that those things that are truly beautiful are usually the things right in front of you, not former Playmates with plastic parts. His incisive look at America made Borat a great success indeed.

Grade: B