If you�ve been anywhere on the planet over the past year then there�s no doubt that you�ve at least heard the name Borat in passing, well Borat – Cultural Learning of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan has finally made its way to DVD. Although I�ve wanted to see this movie since I saw its preview before Jackass 2, this is the first time I�ll actually be watching it and I eagerly anticipate it; I�ve heard lots of things about this controversial mockumentary comedy. Adding to my anticipation of the film is the fact that Seinfeld writer Larry Charles is the director.
Sacha Baron Cohen plays Borat the fictitious journalist from Kazakhstan who first introduces us to the people of his village and their way of life. He then explains that he is being sent on a mission to America to observe the way of life there and bring back lessons to help make Kazakhstan a better place, hence the title. Ken Davitian stars as the producer and close friend of Borat who accompanies him on his journey to America. From this point Sacha Baron Cohen stays in the character of Borat and tricks people into thinking that he is this over the top character, and basically their reactions to his hilarious comments are what make this movie what it is. For example, there is one scene where Borat is dinning with high society and he basically makes an ass of himself by acting indifferent, and oblivious to the customs in America. In another scene he sings at a rodeo, where a bunch of redneck�s apparently insight a riot over his comments. Its things like this that makes Borat what it is, a hilariously unpredictable journey across America.
Although this movie is basically a bunch of hilarious scenes one after another, the main plot once in America is for Borat to make it to California to meet Pamela Anderson, whom he hopes to make his wife. The people we meet along the way become more and more hilarious as the movie goes on, seeing him interact with Jews (whom he blames for 9/11 and obliviously dislikes), college kids, rich people, poor people, hookers, feminists and everyone in-between.
I don�t really know how to explain Borat more than I already have, basically you�ve got to see it because it�s the funniest movie I�ve seen in quite some time. Not only are his comments hilarious but the people�s reactions to them, and what makes it even better is that all the reactions are legit, these people actually believe he is a journalist from Kazakhstan. Cohen�s dexterity is amazing, whether it�s his ability to screw up a �not joke� or his amazing improvisation he has this character down amazingly. If you haven�t already seen this movie then you shouldn�t hesitate checking it out, because it is hilarious from beginning to end.
Video
Borat is presented in 1.85:1 widescreen and makes the most of its transfer to DVD. As one would expect, the hidden camera scenes look grainy and soft and stick out when compared to the quality of the rest of the film. The famous nude fight scene in the hotel looks sharp, although many probably don�t want to see more detail then seen in theatre. Colors also looked fairly good, although I found they did look a bit washed out at times. That being said, the rest of the film really looks much better than I expected from this genre.
Audio
Borat is given a Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track, but as expected, this isn�t a film to showcase your sound system as the comedy relies heavily on the front channels. There are some subtle effects here and there that use the rear channels but this doesn�t happen too often. The music really sounds great, often I found myself humming the catchy tunes, again a good track for this type of film.
Special Features
There really isn�t much for features, but what they have are hilarious, the deleted scenes being the best part as they bring a handful of new sketches onto the table.
- Deleted Scenes � Hilarious and worth checking out, the deleted scenes include Borat trying to adopt a dog that he wants to prepare for a meal, him annoying a doctor, and more.
- Global Public Relations Tour � A collection of TV spots and premier footage, including appearances on Saturday Night Live, Jay Leno, and Conan �O Brian.
- Music infomercial � An infomercial for the movies soundtrack, also worthwhile to watch.
Final Thoughts
Although the special features themselves are hilarious, I could have gone for having a bit more of them. Aside from that the video and audio weren�t the best, but that�s the kind of feel this movie goes for, seeing as it�s a mockumentary. The movie itself is just hilarious and makes the disc worth purchasing, if you haven�t seen it yet then buy it because watching Borat once just isn�t enough.
Special Features List
- Deleted Scenes
- Global Public Relations Tour
- Music infomercial
