The Best of Borat (2001 TV Movie) User Reviews

Class

[ozzyanddarwin · 7/10 · 26 February 2022]

So hilarious even now over 20 years later. Was something so fresh and different for a cinematic experience. People really appreciated Cohen and his talents more after this.

More from SBC's funniest character

[Horst_In_Translation · 8/10 · 28 August 2016]

The title of this 25-minute "documentary" film from 2001 is very telling indeed. In "The Best of Borat", Sacha Baron Cohen plays his mustached trademark role and goes off to England to interview several locals. This little film is from five years before SBC made his Oscar-nominated full feature movie and the potential the character has in terms of comedy is clearly visible already. I enjoyed it a lot and there are many funny sequences as Borat visits places in Britain and his honest and frequently annoying (for his guests) style works well together with (or against) the English gentleman-like behavior because the two are so different. You could see that Sacha Baron Cohen (also the writer here) was really enjoying himself when he was checking out on several occasions (hunting ground, bathrooms, dinner tables) how far he should and can go before his counterpart has enough of him and the situation. I love the Borat movie and I loved this one. If you have not seen the 2006 work, maybe check out this short first because it should be a good indicator as to whether the full feature is worth checking out. 25 minutes well-spent. One of 2001's finest, especially in comedy. I highly recommend the watch.

Sacha Baron Cohen - a genius

[muffk · 10/10 · 8 August 2006]

SBC's Borat character is pure genius. Why? His 'foreign' guise lets his guests/interviewees feel that they are superior to him. Which in turn allows them to speak more freely. act more natural and true to their thoughts.

Also the fact that the people believe this show will be aired in Kazakhstan also helps achieve the outrageous level of humanity that could not happen if people knew 'their friends' or 'hollywood' might happen to catch this.

Borat exposes people's racist, prejudice, anti-female, anti-gay and anti-Semitic thoughts.

Most guests go along with what he does because they don't want to embarrass him or his 'customs'. Ali G will lose a guest much quicker than Borat simply because if you insult Borat - You insult a nation.

You have to watch this show realizes that SBC is Jewish himself, and all the 'jew jokes' are used as entrapment to reveal the opinions of others.

The show works because of SBC's transformation into Borat, and the people he chooses to interview.

Anyone who knows a foreigner loves this show so much more because they can relate to some of the questions Borat might ask about America.

Dzienkuje

Evaluation

[murrill001l · 17 August 2004]

The first time I saw the show 'Ali G' I wasn't too impressed. I myself thought that the whole fictional character impersonation scene was not really that funny. But just released in the U.K is 'The Borat Show', featuring scenes from two of the 3 impersonated stereotypes created and acted by Sacha Baron Cohen - Bruno the gay Austrian stylist, and Borat the Khazakstani T.V show presenter. In this particular show Borat tours the States and meets, interviews, and sometimes travels around with different people, ranging from deer hunters to politicans, and I warn you his scenes are not for the easily offended. I was in absolute hysterics. I have never ever seen an impression-based television show this funny. Borat's television show is strictly NOT for feminists, strict anti-racists, or people of firm religious beliefs. Lets just say the stereotypical way of life in Khazakstan is portrayed to be very very different from the traditional way of life of the Americans from Borat's point of view. Bearing in mind this man is not actually from Khazakstan, which probably distributes half of the shows comic genius. About 50% of the rest of the comic genius is supplied by the reactions of the people involved in the scenes. If you enjoy shows like Ashton Kutcher's 'PUNKD', you will love 'The Best of Borat', or the 'Borat Show'.