Who needs religion when you have Sasha Baron Cohen? Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan—also known as Borat 2—was released Oct. 23 over Amazon Prime Video.
To say the least—although I am extremely biased—Borat 2 is genius.
The film is riddled with Cohen’s predictable anti-Semitic and misogynistic satirical humour. But since I’m already lacking in employable traits, it would make no difference to make matters worse. I’ll leave the interpretation of these jokes up to you.
The film is also—in the most round-about way possible—progressive. Cohen ponders many of the most relevant social issues troubling our society today. Of course, this is done in a backwards, satirical fashion, yet the humour does not rob the film of its intended message.
Cohen’s sequel has a noticeable shift in tonality compared to his first film. Borat Subsequent Moviefilm takes the cause of women’s rights into play, contrasting the treatment and expectations of women in America and Kazakhstan.
Throughout the film, Borat and his daughter Tutar begin to develop a heartwarming father-daughter relationship—one that any sensible psychologist would label as “problematic.” But through this relationship comes realization and compassion towards the rights and decisions of his daughter.
So although Tutar is floored by the sight of a woman driving a car and spends the majority of the film aspiring to sleep in a cage “like Melania”, Borat begins to recognize that he wants more for his daughter than to simply gift her to Vice President “Michael Penis” as a wife.
Unlike Borat’s first film, the sequel is much more politically motivated. Borat attends a pro-Trump rally and finds himself questioning the—blatantly false—information given to his country by the government.
Any film that finds clever ways of mocking Republican America will always be a success in my books. Towards the end of the film—spoiler!—former Mayor of New York City Rudy Giuliani (seemingly) gets himself prepped to have sex with Borat’s daughter, who was previously shown to be fifteen years old.
“She’s only fifteen! She is too old for you,” Borat interjects, saving the twenty-four year old actress from Rudy’s booty. And although Giuliani has defended his immoral behaviour—fumbling around with his genitals in the presence of a teenager—as simply “tucking in his shirt”, it’s hard not to see his Epstein-esque gesture as suspicious.
Borat also makes friends with two Democrat-loathing Americans in an effort to help him along his “mission”, and although these men’s views on politics and the world are laughably horrifying, it’s hard not to root for the success of their relationship with Cohen’s character. He even reconciles his relationship with the Jewish community—kind of.
As well, It’s a heartwarming film at times. I won’t deny that even I teared up a little when Borat invited his daughter out of her cage and into his trailer to spend the night on a pile of hay. When a relationship is previously defined by neglect and ignorance, it’s always sweet when the authoritative figure finally comes around to express some compassion—even when it’s Borat.
Behind all the racism, misogyny and anti-Semitism is an important message to American society: respect people and wear your damn mask.
It’s raunchy, inappropriate and likely to offend your mother, but it’s impossible to deny that this film isn’t the funniest piece of content to be released in 2020. Immediately after the opening credits, my atrociously inaccurate—yet extremely common throughout my immediate social circle—Borat accent was beginning to show.
Thankfully, my family is well prepared. “I don’t want to hear the voice,” my father had explained during one of my lengthy rants on why Borat 2 would be even better than the original.
So, please, go see the movie. It was the first film granted approval for filming amidst COVID-19 restrictions and will absolutely give you a much needed laugh.
