I've been geared up to see Borat for some time. I had gotten somewhat hooked on Da Ali G show on late night HBO a few years ago. Then the hype surrounding the film added to my anticipation.
The Ali G features were not as successful as the TV shorts, and I was not alone when I wondered how this would translate to a feature film. Perhaps it's like SNL or Monty Python, which can work better if you're half drunk or half asleep – ("Did they really just do that...?"). Of course at these moments there can be genius! Timing is everything with skit-based (perhaps all?) comedy. Sometimes the shortest scenes are the best. I'm convinced that the main reason MAD TV succeeds at all is it's rapid-fire promos, which are cut so well that they are often much funnier than the skits themselves.
Indeed, there are moments of genius here, but I'm not sure this movie deserves all the accolades it's recieved. Cohen and crew do a pretty good job of turning random acts into a storyline, an impressive feat. Several moments achieve the same degree of culturally revealing satire that make Da Ali G show popular (and its equivalent in the U.K., as I understand it). Still, at the risk of sounding like other drones out there, satirical skits as a feature-length film can wear you down. Some scenes ended up to be so long that I stopping being in the moment, laughing with Cohen, and feeling sorry for the unwitting extras. Even with their racism, sexism, and bigotry, the film takes advantage of thier politeness. This makes Cohen and film appear less civil overall.
Don't get me wrong. I'm a fan of this film, and Borat, and Bruno, and Ali G, and I want to see more from Cohen. Perhaps Borat the movie will get better for me if I see portions as it reruns on cable, like other movies listed in my Spout group Repeat. For now, as much as it cracks me up, I can't help but wonder when Borat asks, "I like you, do you like me?", whether Cohen is telling the truth.