Borat: Cultural Learnings Of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakstahn- Page 2

[mejusthavingfun]

Posted: 11/6/06 at 1:56pm

>>...it's not a gross-out picture at all--it's about social comfort

I thought it was gross out film. SH*T in a bag? That's social comfort joke? Isn't gross out social comfort? That hotel scene was gross. I wont give it away:)

>>>I'm also not sure why you were confused by its structure--it's a mockumentary--we know that Borat is really an actor and >>that no such person or television show exists.

I did not understand why the documentary in the Borat world stopped in some parts, but the cameras didn’t? I wonder about the crew shooting this film. I did not understand why the “film crew” stayed with him and he was supposed to be alone? The producer left, why didn’t the crew talk? Did they leave too? It just didn't make sense to me. This was a break from the convention Borat started in the film. There were shots of Borat driving… from the crew driving beside him? There was a shot when he went to the prostitute’s house and knocked on the door. The camera was on the inside of the house. That would mean the prostitute knew he was coming, but she didn’t. It was very obvious what parts were scripted, and to me it broke the suspension of disbelief.

I’m not saying this makes the movie bad, the “story” actually keeps it moving.

>>And if you were offended, then I would like to ask you, what did you think you were seeing?

I wasn't offended at all by the film. I thought I was seeing something like Mr. Bean, which it was, kinda Mr. Bean meets Waiting for Guffman.


Updated On: 11/6/06 at 01:56 PM

[SkierRob02]

Posted: 11/6/06 at 2:13pm

I really liked this movie. I'm very hard to offend. I live by, "If you can't laugh at youself, then you can't laugh at others." I did however have a problem with the end scene, "We no longer have the running of the bulls, we are now christian"...That to me was in poor taste. Am I offended, not really, but it was VERY uncomfortable. I'm surprised the Jewish community is NOT up in arms about this.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 11/6/06 at 2:17pm

"Also…there was a very uncomfortable scene where he insulted a woman that I thought was really cruel. It's funny, but in a way that probably really hurt her feelings."

They show that in all the commercials/trailers, and it's what turned me off from wanting to see it. We know it's a joke, but she doesn't. What's funny about that?

[mejusthavingfun]

Posted: 11/6/06 at 2:25pm

There was a silence in the crowded theatre when he did that. I applaud him for going that far though. It was really funny, but the worst kind of funny.

[Love4Cheno]

Posted: 11/6/06 at 2:33pm

There was no silence when I saw it (at 42nd St. AMC). In fact, the entire crowd roared.

Yes it's childish to poke fun in that way, but when the subject of that joke is a racist homophobe, I have no problem laughing at her expense.

I still can't believe the big "fight" scene.

But I'm REALLY excited about the planned BRUNO film.

[mejusthavingfun]

Posted: 11/6/06 at 2:46pm

I was up at the 63/2nd snob theater. Small soda is $4.50. I'm getting really old.

[lildogs]

Posted: 11/6/06 at 2:48pm

The crowd I was in roared too...and the ass-kicker is: HE'S RIGHT! And he doesn't say she's ugly--he's says, "You...Not so much." He isn't cruel about it, just clueless.

me: The **** in the bag isn't about grossing out the audience, but rather to shake up the hostess. The wrestling scene IS gross, but that's what also makes it funny--the audacity.

Suspension of disbelief is exactly THAT: suspension of what we know to be true. If you don't buy it, then the film won't work for you--just like MOULIN ROUGE or the SWEENEY revival. Yes, "Like A Virgin" was written many years after the period in which MR is set, but that's where the suspension comes into play.

[circusliz]

Posted: 11/6/06 at 3:32pm

The Jewish community is not up in arms about this because:

1. Anti-semitism is very real and very scary, and sometimes it helps to laugh at how ludicrous that emotion is

2. Sasha Baron Cohen is Jewish (in fact his parents are Israeli), and we all know the Seinfeld rule about who is allowed to make Jewish jokes...

[Love4Cheno]

Posted: 11/6/06 at 3:51pm

SBC is in fact, a practicing Jew and pretty devout. He and his fiancee are planning a traditional Israeli (I believe) wedding.

The scene with the paintings in the Jewish home killed me.

[mejusthavingfun]

Posted: 11/6/06 at 3:56pm

Well Lil I didn't buy it. It broke form.

Anyways the audience I was with was mostly Jewish. They loved it. My Jewish friends worship Sasha, they've been talking about this movie for weeks.

[StephenSondheimWHOO]

Posted: 11/6/06 at 4:59pm

I am really excited to see this and I like Sascha Baron Cohen is great but I am NOT happy about him playing Tobias

[justagirl2]

Posted: 11/6/06 at 5:22pm

Brilliant movie. The way he gets people to show their true colors is astonishing, and I don't think I've ever laughed so hard during a movie. My friend who introduced me to Cohen about 2 years ago ADORED it.

My only fear is that people will begin to quote it, and I'll get annoyed quickly.

[mejusthavingfun]

Posted: 11/6/06 at 5:24pm

It's already gotten really annoying quickly. I saw like ten "acting" Borats in the parade.

[justagirl2]

Posted: 11/6/06 at 5:29pm

Yep. My roommate now likes to say "high-five" after every conversation, and I want to take a bitch down each time.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 11/6/06 at 10:38pm

I thought it was a very funny film and extremely poignant in what it reveals about people and their bigotry.

I never had a problem with the mockumentary conceit of the film. It was fairly obvious to me that the crew followed him the entire time. If you could buy the conceit of The Comeback, you could buy this.

[MotorTink]

Posted: 11/6/06 at 10:45pm

I'm not rushing to the theaters to see this like many of my friends did, but I'm sure I'll netflix it when it hits DVD. I think the concept of the film can be entertaining but something still isn't grabbing me about it. I thought SBC was funny in Talladega Nights but no where near as funny as others thought. But yes, it is already getting a cult Napolean Dynamite following and is annoying already.

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 11/7/06 at 12:34am

I really enjoyed it, but it was a lot different than I expected it to be.

I expected less scripted stuff, and more real stuff such as him at the rodeo or at the dinner party.

Those were my favorite parts, and there just weren't that many of them really.

And that, to me, was disappointing.

So, though I highly enjoyed the film, I was a little disappointed.
I wanted more social commentary.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 11/7/06 at 10:40am

I haven't seen the film yet, but his interview on the Today show made me change the channel. It might be good, but I can wait for the DVD. I just found him annoying. He reminded me of a college drama student whose friends keep telling him how funny he his.

[mejusthavingfun]

Posted: 11/7/06 at 11:20am

LOL Mister Matt. You nailed it with that college drama student thing. I heard Michael Moore praise the film, like its some groundbreaking social commentary. That’s exactly how I feel about him.

I’m shocked people are shocked at the reactions of the people in the film. I guess because I’m not white I see something different in the average American.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 11/7/06 at 12:27pm

It's shocking that he got them to say those things on camera. I don't think any of us are ignorant to the bigotry of this country. It's just that most people are rather passive agressive about it.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 11/7/06 at 12:30pm

That movie was hilarious. The best parts to me were the ones not dealing with social commentary, but the raw moments. Like the bear and the ice cream truck and the naked wrestling. Brillant.

[mejusthavingfun]

Posted: 11/7/06 at 1:00pm

Jrb- Have you ever been to any of those places? Have you read what people post on this board about Muslims? I think the media does a good job filtering out racism, but it's there. I grew up a minority in rural Pennsylvania and I can tell you I saw more racism there than any form of tolerance I know. It is exists on almost every level in American culture.

Like I posted before, I was in a wealthy audience when I saw it. Early in the film people were snickering at Borat’s third-world living conditions. (Which to my eyes was not that bad, and not a surprise in any way). This was before they got to laugh at the typical racist America. That irony made me smile as I left the theatre. The audience left thinking they were better than those “ typical southern Americans,” but in my mind not at all. It’s a testament of the film that it plays tricks with the actual audience.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 11/7/06 at 1:03pm

Honey, I'm from Texas.

[RachLaura]

Posted: 11/8/06 at 1:48pm

Is it true they're taking this movie out of theatres early? Someone told me that tomrorow is the last day it's playing...I don't think this is true and must be a rumor or something. Anyone know for sure?

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 11/8/06 at 1:54pm

Who's "they"? The studio? They're making a fortune! I think you got some bad information.