Thursday, November 16, 2006

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

The film is out! Borat leaves his home in Kazakhstan to go to the "U.S. and A." and record a documentary at the behest of the fictitious Kazakh Ministry of Information. While in New York, he sees an episode of Baywatch and immediately falls in love with Pamela Anderson. Much of the movie from this point on features unstaged vignettes of Borat interviewing and interacting with Americans who believe he is an actual foreign TV personality with no understanding of American customs.

Borat's film is highly controversial and has been banned in several countries, most notably in Russia.

In September 2006 the Kazakh President Nazarbayev visited US President George Bush for talks, with Kazakhstan's post-Borat international image among the items on the agenda. Kazakhstan also launched a multi-million dollar "Heart of Eurasia" campaign to counter the Borat effect, which Baron Cohen promptly took advantage of by denouncing the campaign at a press conference in front of the White House as the propaganda of the "evil nitwits" of Uzbekistan.

Kazakhstan has not, however, banned the film, having merely urged that it not be distributed. 20th Century Fox's distribution subsidiary in the region, Gemini Films, has agreed not to show it there.

Some review excerpts:

Don't see Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan if you're easily offended by . . . never mind.

Borat is so gut-
bustingly funny it should carry a health warning.

Reviewer is disappointed!

Don't count out Borat to be above more straightforward practicality or participating in the most intestinal-
dropping, gut-smashing bit of cough-inducing hilarity of male bonding ever committed to celluloid.

The people Borat talks to become the symbolic heart of America -
- a place where intolerance is worn, increasingly, with pride.

...Sacha Baron Cohen clearly has the biggest comedic cojones in the industry today and his movie is brilliant.

Is Borat the funniest comedy of the year? Almost certainly -
- but what's the competition?


Pssst... wanna watch the trailer?


Our recommendation: only to be watched in English

6 comments:

Rafa C. said...

It's really funny, above all, the brilliant yellow swimming costume. As Borat say, 'Nice!!!!!!'.

I know that Emule is more or less illegal, but I can't wait to download this movie, ha!

Pablo said...

If you like Borat you should take a look on this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBirGHHzXOM&mode=related&search=

Susana said...

I also liked Borat's "nice" lemon swimsuit. Think that if Borat has it, it's because it exists. Who else can wear such a thing?
I'm also going to pass to the illegal side visiting the eMule and also the youtube that Pablo recommends.
It's easier to understand a foreigner although the grammar and some expressions aren't correct but the pronunciation is as bad as ours, so this must be the reason.

Susana said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Susana said...

Pablo, thank you for the information, it's really hilarious.

Ferran said...

Hi Pablo, Rafa and Susana! Pablo, thank you very much for the link! We're only posting short videos, but I think it's a very good idea to encourage your colleagues to watch longer videos in English. Nice!!!
PS: Your pronunciation is much better than Borat's!