Borat

Kindisch und intelligent, beleidigend und rührend. Und immer ehrlich. Gewissermaßen ein Phänomen. Zumindest wegen seiner Originalität. Ich hoffe, dass es eine ganze Reihe geben wird und jeder Film mindestens so gut ist. (02.03.2007)

Fully appreciated after a second screening. This film is not what it appears to be at first sight. A witty mockery of petty bourgeoisie, the fanatical religiosity of the American Midwest and the stupid anti-Semitism of a significant part of the population, all with a broader scope (it doesn't matter if it's the USA or a small country in the middle of Europe, people are basically the same everywhere, except for small nuances). My colleague Cooper and I laughed like madmen, a cleansing laugh, knowing that what we see on the screen is inherently ridiculous, but beneath its veneer is a deliberately targeted satire. "Disgusting, filthy and perverse" can only seem to people unable to read between the lines. (22.12.2007)

The film’s about America and what it's really like. It’s a satire that escalates to the point of absurdity that chills. It still bothers me that some scenes are unnaturally there "for effect," but Sacha's courage simply forces me to give it a thumbs up (and a better review after my second viewing). (04.08.2009)

Das Streben nach maximaler Schwachsinnigkeit von Gags geht Hand in Hand mit dem Streben danach, einen Dokumentarfilm zu drehen - wenn die einzelnen Auftritte des kasachischen Hillbillies wirklich das Kennzeichen von Authentizität hätten, würde das ganze wahrscheinlich mehr Spaß machen. Aber dieser Zwang Wille sieht aus wie ein Strohhalm, der aus einem Schuh herausguckt, der mit dem schwachen verbalen Humor nicht umgehen kann, bei dem grobe Unkorrektheit das wichtigste ist und all dies rettet Cohen mit physischem Mut (der 69er mit einem dickbäuchigen Rentner ist wirklich eine Stunt-Performance). Es gibt Orte, die mit ihrer ungehobelten Poetik regelrecht ansteckend sind, wobei das kurze Filmmaterial auch das seinige tut. Hier werden die traditionellen Attribute des amerikanischen Kleinbürgertums ausgelacht und das ist recht nett, geht jedoch über die Möglichkeiten eine Plan A nicht hinaus. Borats Reise durch die Youesey ist sehr unterhaltsam, obgleich es sich um einen flatuusähnlichen Humor geht. Man lacht zwar über ihn, zurück bleibt aber nur Gestank. (21.01.2009)

Funny? Yes! Badly balanced? You bet it is. If you haven’t come across Cohen and his humor and sketches before, you’ll love Borat (if you can stand watching). Unfortunately, if you know him, then you will find that this feature-length offering is rather disenchanting, because it has a lot of dead places, and the scenes that work excellently a mere recycled versions of Cohen’s TV sketches. But at the same time, the whole thing is fine and likeable, and it is certainly no disappointment or failure because, at very least, Cohen’s charisma carries this pseudo-documentary even at its weaker moments. (24.11.2006)

I wisely avoided Borat during its premiere because, based on the initial reactions, I clearly identified that this style of humor would not be my cup of tea. However, when it was served to me on a silver platter on TV, I couldn't resist confronting my feelings with the enthusiastic reviews of some viewers. My intuition did not let me down, so even though I sympathize with Cohen's goals, his humor is overall indigestible to me. It's fine that he takes shots at political correctness, hypocrisy, sanctimoniousness, uncritical religious faith, various forms of dogmatism, and human stupidity in general. However, he lacks (and at times desperately so) a sense of moderation, elegance, and nobility. Cohen is exactly the type of comedian who won't hesitate to stick his head in a bucket of feces for the sake of audience response, and he somehow reminds me of the clown Krusty from the popular TV show The Simpsons. I suspect that political correctness means absolutely nothing to Cohen, as he doesn't want to criticize anything or fight for anything, and he simply wants to sell his one-man show as best as possible. At times, he succeeds in doing just that; I definitely can't deny his sense of irony and ability to escalate a certain joke. I also definitely laughed more than is customary for contemporary comedies. However, there were certainly more moments where I cringed at the concentrated awkwardness. I'll skip the exaggerated exclamations like "Best comedy of the year!" because everyone, myself included, has the right to their own indulgences. Overall impression: 40%. (22.11.2010)

I’m speechless. It’s totally bonkers, and I probably laughed more than it’s healthy. Hats off. I really wasn’t expecting this. (24.03.2007)

If it weren't for the creepy and unnecessary "nude" scene, I'd probably give it a full rating. It isn’t brilliant or intelligent at all, but Borat managed to entertain me decently and fulfil my expectations almost to the letter...75% (18.05.2011)

Ich habe mich lange hartnäckig gegen Borat gewehrt, weil ich mir irgendwie lange suggeriert hatte, dass sich ein Amerikaner über Kasachen lustig macht und dass ich das ganz sicher nicht sehen muss. Nachdem ich den ersten Teil gesehen hatte, sah ich ein, dass sich Cohen über alle lustig und nicht davor Halt macht, es auf alle und alles abzusehen, ihm ist nichts heilig. Eine witzige Satire in halbdokumentarischer Form über die maroden USA. Die ganze Zeit über dachte ich darüber nach, ob Pamela am Ende vielleicht nicht doch kurz an der Kamera vorbeiflitzt... (29.12.2020)

Years ago, this film really impressed me and still evokes the same feelings in me. Here are scenes that even a person doesn't want to watch because it's almost scary how Sacha Baron Cohen got involved in them. On the other hand, it brilliantly shows how people pretend or, conversely, how they behave when they don't have to pretend. This journey to America paid off like this. (07.08.2016)