Film: Borat - The Movie

[duck_racer]

Given that this was SBC's only chance of using the Borat character in America to show just how backwards some peoples view are, the program failed spectacularly. Aside from the scenes in the rodeo (brilliant) I thought the film was pretty poor and all too often resorted back to 14 year old toilet humour for laughs. Don't get me wrong, I find this really funny, but watching a couple of thousand Americans whooping and hollering as Borat says he wants Bush to drink the blood of every Iraqi is utterly priceless. And so why, when you have the chance to make a genuinely interesting, funny film about some seriously backwards people in the US do you choose to shit in a bag at a dinnerparty? Weak.

The second thing that really bugged me was just how much of the film was staged. I hope the that the reason they felt the need to do this was because they hadn't got any material filming properly and it was a last resort. But again and again it just smacked of laziness. The supposed prostitute turning up at the dinnerparty after being called only to show up in the final scene?

Having watched the trailers I had high hopes but the film was a real let down for me. I think the success it has had in America demonstrates that SCB really sold out for the money instead of making a genuinely interesting 'mockumentary'. But then again how surprising would it have been to discover that a lot of rednecks are Christian, pro-Bush loonies? Not very..

I wanted a comedy about American society and all I got was Dude, Where's My Car with more Jew bashing and funny accents.

Weak.

 

[djwhirlpool]

I saw it at midnight last night and by the end of the movie more than half of the people in the theatre walked out because it was so terrible. I was expecting alot from Ali G but he ended up putting out one of the worst movies of all time.

Everyone in the theatre I was in was laughing there asses off.

You must live in an uptight town.

Same here. I'm surprised they showed it there, I thought they'd want to hide it since it makes fun of the US so much. At least it's getting shown there, I hope people appreciate it for what it is, comedy, and don't take it tooooo seriously.

Have you ever seen american tv shows like the chappelle show or mind of mencia? They both totally makes fun of americans of all races.

There are tons of american movies and tv shows of us making fun of ourselves. I would say the only reason that some people wouldn't find it funny would be because of the crudeness, which could be universally offensive. That sort of humor isn't for everyone.

yeah I would imagine many contracts are written on the premise that those signing them won't read thoroughly

imo the drunk frat kids got what they deserved in being shamed on a national scale, but they definitely will be able to use the excuse that they were too intoxicated to understand what they were signing in court.

Ahh, the classic line...

"I was so drunk I didn't know what I was doing."

Doesn't work with cheating bfs and probably won't hold up in court.

READ THE FINE PRINT, JACKASSES!

I work in a research office where our patients have to sign consent forms and I was surprised to find out how many people sign without reading the entire thing. We also make it a point to write it so anyone could understand and people still just don't take the time to find out what they're getting themselves into.

 

[djwhirlpool]

given that many people here have said the movie was hilarious and the movie theatre i was in had people wetting themselves laughing, there's only one (rather obvious) conclusion - funny is a subjective thing.

what's funny to one person is, demonstrably, not funny to another.

i think it might make for an interesting discussion if you expanded on what you were expecting and why you didn't find the movie funny? care to give it a go?

that said, explaining why we find things funny (or otherwise) can be one of those "it just is" issues which is understandable. i'm interested to hear more if you have the time.

alasdair

I agree.

Some people have a sick and twisted sense of humor (like me) and those people seem to find humor in just about anything which makes us happier people in my opinion. I love having a seriously laugh at least once a day regardless of how poor in taste the humor is.

 

[pennywise]

fuck rodeos.

lol

 

[Gog]

A lot of the pre-set scenarious were hilarious, and half spontaneous anyway. Like when they were throwing bills at the cockroaches, or when the bear leaned out of the window, it shows scenes where other people are actually scared and then a mock scene of it screaming children away when they come for icecream. OK, I will not ruin the movie anymore, see it all ye!

 

[djwhirlpool]

Of course some of it had to be acted to make the story line flow smoothly. Otherwise, it would have been just a bunch of skits and not a movie.

 

[wizekrak]

I would have actually rather had a bunch of skits than a movie. I find Borat works best when he's given carte blanch in a random scenario. The plot driven points fell somewhat flat for me.

 

[alasdairm]

The second thing that really bugged me was just how much of the film was staged.

i'm interested to know how you were able to tell which scenes were staged and which were not?

alasdair

 

[djwhirlpool]

Obviously the dialog between Borat and his assistant was staged and the part in the town, but I think the rest was all real footage.

 

[Puddito]

Whos cares if it was staged, it was all funny as hell.

 

[Rasclatt]

i'm interested to know how you were able to tell which scenes were staged and which were not?

alasdair

the staged scenes were very obvious, I dont think that any scenes with 'the general public' and personalities etc were staged in the sense that they were acting, apart from pamela anderson at the end (if she wasnt pre warned about that hed probably have gotten shot)

 

[Gog]

ok...that explains a lot, as I couldn't figure out how he did that (tackled pamela anderson)

 

[psychetool]

This movie looks fucking terrible and with all the hype i'm definitly going to wait for the DVD release.

 

[alasdairm]

if it looks "fucking terrible" why would you bother with it at all?

why do you think it looks terrible?

alasdair

 

[Jabberwocky]

To the folk who seem to be getting annoyed at the scenes that are obviously staged. Well that's the point, they ARE supposed to be obviously staged. Rediculously staged, the prostitute for example. Of course that wasn't real they make it so obvious that it wasn't because it links the film between the unstaged clips.

 

[IdleScience]

Great Film, probally only suited to those of superior taste, those who did not like it are merely the kind of morons this film exposes. brilliant

 

[Gog]

Indeed. Those who say it was too offensive are lying I think, to cover up the fact that their idiocy exposed on camera makes them uncomfortable. I say this because my two nearly 60 year-old parents, who are virtually VIRGINAL when it comes to the insane comedy of today (South Park, etc.), and they had no knowledge of shock comedy, liked Borat and basically thought it was hilarious and even clever.

 

[AmorRoark]

Indeed. Those who say it was too offensive are lying I think, to cover up the fact that their idiocy exposed on camera makes them uncomfortable. I say this because my two nearly 60 year-old parents, who are virtually VIRGINAL when it comes to the insane comedy of today (South Park, etc.), and they had no knowledge of shock comedy, liked Borat and basically thought it was hilarious and even clever.

Hasty generalization

I thought the movie was pretty entertaining. That said I'd still give it B+/B- as a overall grade. I think I walked into that theater with expectations running too high. I'm glad I saw it in a theather though if just for the audience reactions.

 

[Gog]

AmorRoark, as much as I know your intentions are of the finest quality, I cannot help but continue ridiculing others and saying outrageous things.

 

[ChemicalBeauty]

I cannot help but continue ridiculing others and saying outrageous things.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourette_syndrome

:D