BORAT SUBSEQUENT MOVIEFILM – Review

Ugh, will those eleven days never end? I’m talking about the big upcoming national elections. And they include the “big one”, the “main event”, namely the presidency. So is it too late for a film to change anybody’s mind? Well, we shall see, though this time, because of certain circumstances, it’s bypassing the slowly growing list of theatres to stream on one of the more popular platforms (like that river, it starts with an “A”). Could people be “burnt out” by the avalanche of political news, debates. and those annoying negative campaign ads? That’s a real possibility, except that this is a sequel to one of the biggest comedies of the last fifteen years. To save us from our current doldrums that frizzy-haired man from the East (not NYC, much farther east) returns to wreak havoc on many of this country’s most sacred institutions, basically tossing a satiric “stinkbomb” into the recent headlines. And boy, we really could use his inane antics right now. This very minute. Is it a “mockumentary” or a real documentary? Let the debates (and probable lawsuits) begin with the arrival of BORAT SUBSEQUENT MOVIEFILM.

Hard to believe, but it’s been fourteen years since the last mission of Borat Sagdiyev (Sacha Baron Cohen). Sadly those years have not been kind to him as he’s been slaving away at a prison camp. He’s despised in his homeland because his last “moviefilm” brought ridicule to Kazakhstan. But on this glorious day he’s taken away from the “rock pits’ and brought to the office of the country’s leader, President Nazarbayev (Dani Popescu) who gives him a new mission to redeem himself and wipe his slate clean. Seems the “big man” is miffed that the US President “McDonald” Trump likes to “hang” with so many of the world’s “strong-arm” dictators, but not him. Maybe that can be rectified if Borat presents him with a “gift” since the ex-reporter is still well-known in the states. Ah, but Borat recalls a previous Trump encounter and suggests he “gift’ the number two man, Mike Pence. The Prez heartily agrees, so Borat is showered, shaved, and given his old “TV suit”. But before the journey begins, Borat returns home only to see that another man has taken over as head of his family, while his sons have changed their names. A broken-hearted Borat wonders through the back yard and reunites with his forgotten daughter, the now fifteen-year-old Tutar (Maria Bakalova), who sleeps outside in a straw-filled metal cage. She’s thrilled to see her papa and begs to join him. Rebuffing her, Borat leaves for America where everyone unfortunately still remembers him (he’s chased down the street, like the Beatles). After getting some disguises from a Halloween shop, he sets up camp and awaits the delivery of the “gift”. The huge crate finally arrives with a big surprise inside: Tutar! A change of plans is needed. She will be the Vice Prez’s gift. But can the dirty, unmannered Tutar be “transformed” into a beauty worthy of the VP? Thus becomes a new “shared” odyssey as father and daughter embark on a series of misadventures with many mainly-clueless Americans to restore honor to their country of Kazakhstan.

Cohen jumps into his old role with unbridled glee, as though he wore that “mankini” just yesterday rather than over a decade ago. He deftly executes incredible feats as he generates huge laughs by treading a comic tightrope without a net…or a solid script (though I’m sure that the basic “outline” including many lines he could “drop-in” when needed). It’s really a marvel to behold, leaving us aghast at his verbal dexterity while holding our breath for a big “payoff”. We can only imagine his brain creating and rejecting responses to the “regular folks” who just don’t pick up the absurd scenarios. And Cohen is going beyond the first film in that Borat is (for much of the encounters) using a vocal disguise with his costumes, wigs, and phony features. I was reminded of a similar feat that the great Mel Blanc pulled off in the classic 1951 short “Rabbit Fire” where he acted the voice of Bugs Bunny as he mimics Daffy Duck and vice versa. Plus there are Cohen’s deft skills at physical comedy as Borat, his long limbs flailing, appearing to ricochet and bounce from one setting to another. But he’s not the film’s only comedy MVP. Cohen has an even better partner (though Ken Davitan was a superior stooge in the first flick as Azamat) in the mostly unknown (outside of Bulgaria) comic actress Bakalova, who is an impressive, completely fearless, partner for Cohen (it’s almost a comic version of a WWF “tag-team”). She builds on Tutar’s character, from a “Lolita” parody crossed with one of Al Capp’s dirty Dogpatch divas to a misguided innocent unknowingly shocking those she meets (usually leaving them with their jaws dropped to the floor). And though she’s part of a stunning comedy “dynamic duo” with Cohen, they somehow bring a real tenderness to their roles as Borat begins to think of his daughter as an actual “person” rather than property. . I was reminded of Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga in the recent A STAR IS BORN in that Cooper guided the screen newcomer while letting her sparle (though Lady G was a big music star already). Cohen never regulated Bakalova to the background but lets her shine in grabbing the big hilarious final moments of a sequence. What a terrific twosome.

TV comedy director (in his feature debut) Jason Woliner ably handles the directing chores, taking over from the first film’s Larry Charles (who also helmed Cohen’s BRUNO and THE DICTATOR). He keeps the action rolling at a brisk pace, despite the “cut and paste” story structure, making the best of Borat’s narration to establish time and settings. And that “loose” format works despite the ten-person (including Cohen) writing team, who “crib”, or is it more of an “homage”, elements of “Pygmalion” and countless “rom-com” “make-over’ movies for Tutar’s “blossoming”. Yes, there are more than a few “blurred faces” (from folks who wouldn’t sign a “release”), but so many “civilians’ say so many outlandish (and repugnant) things knowing they’re on camera. This is especially true in the big stunning finale involving a “news name” that is now grabbing lots of internet buzz (not really buying his “statement”). Yet somehow there are several sweet moments as when Tutar’s “babysitter” tries to instill a sense of self-worth in her. Or the really touching encounter between Borat (in his vulgar “jew” uniform) and an incredibly kind and forgiving Holocaust survivor Judith Dim Evans (such dignity). Sure many of the “reg’ lar folks” only need light and a mirror to reveal their foolishness, both actors gently guide them so it’s not as though it’s “shooting fish in a barrel” to wring the laughs out of the scary people of a scary time. When last we meet Borat he was tweaking the “Dubya” era with expert wit, but there seems to be more at stake here as they even delve into the pandemic complete with masks and lock-downs. It’s interesting that Cohen is just coming off great reviews for his role in THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7 as the original “merry prankster” Abbie Hoffman. With Bakalova’s Tutar, Borat is the new century political “prankster” who gleefully revels in the emperor’s “nudity”. Let’s hope that his services won’t be needed for a few more years. But for now, this father-daughter duo deserves…

3 and a Half Out of 4

BORAT SUBSEQUENT MOVIEFILM begins streaming on Amazon Prime on Friday, October 23, and is showing in select theatres.