The phenon that is Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan has hit its high and looks like its hitting its low. This might mean bad news for Cohen Fans.
You knew the love feast about Borat had to end. The film has grossed more than $100 million, and audiences seem to find entertaining the news stories about the non-actors who were deceived about the film in which they appeared. Lawsuits? Angry bystanders? It’s all part of the fun of the film, right? That Sacha Baron Cohen sure fooled those folks into revealing their inner prejudices. But the after-party hangover is starting to set in
The very quality that made Borat such a success almost appears to be its own downfall. Fortunately for Cohen this backlash hits long after the money has already been made.
The movie consists mostly of Borat stumbling blindly in broken english to insult people to their faces, and its funny. Incredibly funny. But what happens when all those people are suddenly offended by appearing in this film looking stupid.
Drunken frat boys make asses of themselves, and then sue Borat for putting it in the movie. Cohen himself was struck by a man when he asked him in his Borat character’s signature verbage if he could have sex in the man’s suit. And daily reports of new lawsuits being brought against Cohen and the filmmakers for misleading people to appear in this movie. It was a gamble, and it paid off. But now the struggles begin to grow.
So what does this mean to Cohen films? Recently news of his Bruno character getting made into a movie hit the net. But will studios want to take a risk on a character that is likely to cause them grief? Will the Bruno movie be as entertaining if it doesnt feature the real reactions of unsuspecting citizens?
Is this experiment of Sasha Baron Cohen the last we will hear of him? I cant expect any other Ali G character to have nearly the same success?