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Borat

Original title: Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
  • 2006
  • R
  • 1h 24m
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
461K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,433
525
Sacha Baron Cohen in Borat (2006)
Kazakh TV talking head Borat is dispatched to the United States to report on the greatest country in the world. With a documentary crew in tow, Borat becomes more interested in locating and marrying Pamela Anderson.
Play trailer1:31
10 Videos
99+ Photos
Dark ComedyMockumentarySatireComedy

Kazakh TV talking head Borat is dispatched to the United States to report on the greatest country in the world.Kazakh TV talking head Borat is dispatched to the United States to report on the greatest country in the world.Kazakh TV talking head Borat is dispatched to the United States to report on the greatest country in the world.

  • Director
    • Larry Charles
  • Writers
    • Sacha Baron Cohen
    • Anthony Hines
    • Peter Baynham
  • Stars
    • Sacha Baron Cohen
    • Ken Davitian
    • Luenell
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.4/10
    461K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    1,433
    525
    • Director
      • Larry Charles
    • Writers
      • Sacha Baron Cohen
      • Anthony Hines
      • Peter Baynham
    • Stars
      • Sacha Baron Cohen
      • Ken Davitian
      • Luenell
    • 1.3KUser reviews
    • 239Critic reviews
    • 89Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 20 wins & 34 nominations total

    Videos10

    DVD Version
    Trailer 1:31
    DVD Version
    'Borat' Star Maria Bakalova Had No Idea What She Was Auditioning For
    Clip 4:28
    'Borat' Star Maria Bakalova Had No Idea What She Was Auditioning For
    'Borat' Star Maria Bakalova Had No Idea What She Was Auditioning For
    Clip 4:28
    'Borat' Star Maria Bakalova Had No Idea What She Was Auditioning For
    Borat Scene: Feminism
    Clip 0:56
    Borat Scene: Feminism
    Borat Scene: Antique Store
    Clip 0:57
    Borat Scene: Antique Store
    Borat Scene: Not Joke
    Clip 0:56
    Borat Scene: Not Joke
    Borat Scene: Vanilla Face
    Clip 0:57
    Borat Scene: Vanilla Face

    Photos120

    View Poster
    View Poster
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    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 115
    View Poster

    Top cast23

    Edit
    Sacha Baron Cohen
    Sacha Baron Cohen
    • Borat
    Ken Davitian
    Ken Davitian
    • Azamat
    Luenell
    Luenell
    • Luenell
    Chester
    • Bear
    Charlie
    • Bear
    Ilham Aliyev
    Ilham Aliyev
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    • (uncredited)
    Pamela Anderson
    Pamela Anderson
    • Self - Autograph Signing
    • (uncredited)
    Bob Barr
    Bob Barr
    • Self - Former Georgia Congressman
    • (uncredited)
    Joseph Behar
    • Self - Bed-and-Breakfast Owner
    • (uncredited)
    Carole De Saram
    • Self - Feminist
    • (uncredited)
    Mitchell Falk
    • Prime Minister of Kazakhstan
    • (uncredited)
    Jodi L. Goldfinger
    • Kazakh women - '06 Toronto Int'l Film Festival Premiere
    • (uncredited)
    Alan Keyes
    • Self - 2-Time Republican Presidential Candidate
    • (uncredited)
    Andre Myers
    Andre Myers
    • Pride Dancer
    • (uncredited)
    Jean-Pierre Parent
    Jean-Pierre Parent
    • Kazakh Swimmer
    • (uncredited)
    Chip Pickering
    • Self - U.S. Congressman
    • (uncredited)
    Bobby Rowe
    • Self - General Manager of Imperial Rodeo
    • (uncredited)
    Viva Sex
    • Pamela Anderson Fan
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Larry Charles
    • Writers
      • Sacha Baron Cohen
      • Anthony Hines
      • Peter Baynham
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews1.3K

    7.4460.5K
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    Featured reviews

    8Benjamin-M-Weilert

    An unscripted mockumentary that ranks in the best of the genre.

    As far as mockumentary films go, Borat (2006) is at least in the top five. It may have not been as groundbreaking as This Is Spinal Tap (1984), but its use of real people's reactions to a parody of Eastern European stereotypes still shocks today. Perhaps having experienced some of the American sub-cultures that were mocked is what makes those parts of this film funny to me. It certainly has its gross-out moments, but Sacha Baron Cohen's performance is iconic.

    I think what makes Borat one of the best mockumentary films is its unscripted nature. Sure, they wrote Borat's dialogue in such a way as to provoke people (or get them to open up about their own racism/sexism/homophobia). However, the responses from these people feel completely genuine. The ones who accept Sacha Baron Cohen's bit and try to play their part straight are perhaps the funniest moments in the movie. Plus, I don't know if I can trust ice cream trucks after watching this.

    While a lot of this movie is funny, the sexual and scatological jokes haven't aged that well. I never cared for the extended sequence of two naked men wrestling through a hotel when I watched this movie the first time, anyway. For such a short film, some sequences seem to go on a bit too long past the point of being funny. I wonder if they just left the camera rolling long enough for these people to incriminate themselves and didn't want to cut anything from that footage. At any rate, this mockumentary borders on an unflinching documentary of cringe-worthy American sub-cultures. And if we can't laugh at ourselves, then maybe we're taking a movie like Borat too seriously.

    An unscripted mockumentary that ranks in the best of the genre, I give Borat 4.0 stars out of 5.
    7DonFishies

    Totally imperfect, but packing one of the best character performances ever

    For months, I could not go anywhere, see or read anything without hearing something about Borat: Cultural Learnings of American for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. It was being hailed as groundbreaking, and hilarious beyond anyone's wildest dreams. Everyone I knew wanted to see it, and I just stood back and could not understand what the big fuss was about. Yeah, it looked fairly amusing, but nothing more than that. Sacha Baron Cohen's Da Ali G Show never impressed me when I watched random episodes, so I was not in belief that this film would.

    But with all of the hype, it made me want to see it opening weekend. Unfortunately, I never managed to. I caught it a few weeks later without the benefit of a huge audience watching it with me. And for the most part, I think my original assumption was correct.

    Basically for the two people who have zero clue what the movie is about (despite it now being on DVD), Borat Sagdiyev (Cohen) is a Kazak journalist sent to the United States to observe the American way of life. He brings his TV crew with him every step of the way, and begins to explore the country. But because of his origin, he is outrageously obnoxious in his behaviour. But for some reason, it only becomes more tolerated as he continues on, allowing for many surprising responses from the people he comes across.

    The satirical idea for the film is simply brilliant. The character of Borat is racist, misogynist, raunchy, and just downright vile in the way he acts. And the Americans he talks to either do not realize what is going on, or actually agree with him. The tour he takes across the United States involves a plethora of random, everyday citizens being duped in this fashion. The fact that the film was marketed so well in the US, and then further made millions, attests to the idea that this may just be the greatest practical joke every played.

    But unfortunately, it is a one-note joke. The film loses steam after thirty minutes, and can barely pick up afterwards. It strikes a pretty solid barrier, and just cannot recover no matter how hard it tries. Yes, the proceeding minutes had their share of laughs and shocks, but nowhere near as much as the first little bit. It just sets itself up far too well, and fails to live up to its original design. Its nifty idea and execution really should have told people from the start that it would not work for a ninety minute long film, but I guess they had more faith in the picture than I did.

    Another upsetting thing about the film was the grand amount of preplanning. It was continually being sold to the audience as being spur-of-the-moment, and very uncoordinated. But as the film progresses, you can tell that some moments are actually being filmed this way, and that some reek of being rehearsed. It takes away from the satire the film had built up for itself, and really brings down the genuine enjoyment for the film. I know it had barely anywhere to go from the start, but making it almost so that it was written unnaturally before hand, just takes away from the genuine impact that the film has. The fact that the writing was nominated at the Oscars also does an effective amount of damage to the final moments of the film, which otherwise would have been drop dead funny instead of just amusing.

    The film-making techniques on the other hand, are just magical. You really get a sense of the gritty and grungy documentary look the filmmakers wanted from the minute the film starts, right up until its finale. The hand-held camera works beautifully in every sequence, and the very personal diary feel that the film gains during the second act works very well. Just trying to keep up with Cohen in certain scenes seemed to have been a test of endurance on its own. The film is very low budget, and it shows in how unique the film looks. If it had not been so heavily publicized, I think I actually would have had trouble deferring whether or not it was an actual documentary if I saw it while flipping through TV channels.

    There are no proper words to describe Cohen and his schtick. It really is a sight to marvel all on its own. His dedication and perfection in this role is nearly unheralded in my mind. He goes beyond transcending himself into the character. Every moral fibre of this character is ingrained in Cohen's performance. You do not see Cohen, and you do not see an actor. You see a rude and ignorant Kazak journalist. He never lets up for a second, and is always acting in character. This fictional character is brought to life with so much energy, that he actually forms into a real life person. The line between reality and fiction is just so thin here, that it really begs the question of how far an actor will go for his character. And he is absolutely hysterical to watch.

    Ken Davitian, who plays Borat's producer and sidekick Azamat, is also very good in his performance. He is almost always watching, and is so subtle. He never breaks a smile, and he is just so serious that he complements how perfect Cohen's character is. He is obviously not as strong an actor (and is barely understandable), but his valiant efforts do go rewarded.

    Even with its flaws, Borat is an experience everyone should take. Some may find it funnier than others, and some may not find it funny at all. There is a bit of a middle ground, but not much. And in the process of watching, everyone will be able to marvel at one of the greatest character performances ever committed to celluloid.

    7.5/10.
    9danielrko

    7.3 ? Where is your sense of humor people?

    Wonderfull movie. You laugh until you cry. A perfect portrait of american culture.
    k_chanioti

    huge misunderstanding (?)

    I have seen the movie a few weeks ago, and i've just read a lot of the comments here... i see that a lot of you people think that this movie is anti-semitic. you've got it all wrong,sorry. Cohen is presenting us a fool and naive -and i don't know what else- character, who thinks that the so nice Jewish couple has turned into bugs and try to poison him with a sandwich, so he bribes them with money to leave him alone... come on guys? Cohen (who, by the way is a Jew himself) is obviously m a k i n g f u n o f anti semitism, or at least he is trying to... he wants to show how unreasonable the hate or fear of the Jews is... I agree with that, cause i don't have anything against Jews or Americans or kazakhs or anyone for all that matters. But i do think that Cohen should leave this job for someone who is not a Jew, (so it would be less of a propaganda) or at least, for someone with the basic sense of humor...i don't think that the view of Borat making a fool of himself(at most times) or making fool of others(at some times), with gags based on ,e.g, the nudity of his over sized partner is funny in any way... how much did this movie cost, i wonder? ten bucks? a hundred? a million? i do not know. all i know is how much better would this world be if all this money could be invested on something else, like the help of hungry, sick , orphan kids dying every day around the world, instead of being wasted in the making of such garbage...
    8Neon_Gold

    Dissecting Life In a Hilarious Way

    I didn't really think I was gonna like this going into it. It seemed like the sort of comedy that was just grating and would irritate me but I gave it a chance.

    It really surprised me. It's hilarious. I didn't realise that it was a sort of "hidden camera" for lack of a better word, movie. It used real people and puts them in these insane situations. I think it's so interesting to see how people react.

    It's also likes to dig into peoples life's and get them to expose the awful parts of them selfs. The part with the men on the bus springs to mind. It is truly disgusting and this movie Lulls them into this place where they expose them selfs. It's incredibly interesting.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The police were called on Sacha Baron Cohen ninety-two times during the production of this film.
    • Goofs
      When Borat gets out of the RV where he'd been drinking with the frat boys, it is a different RV than the one he originally got into.
    • Quotes

      Borat: You telling me the man who try to put a rubber fist in my anus was a homosexual?

    • Crazy credits
      "KAZAKH BOARD OF FILM CENSORS: This film is unsuitable for children under the age of 3"
    • Alternate versions
      For the film's US television premiere on USA Network in June 2009, the film is presented largely uncut -- including the infamous nude wrestling and chase between Borat and Azamat, which is censored with black bars -- but several of the harshest profanities and sexual terms are silenced and a label reading "CENZURAT" appears over mouths (and, where necessary, subtitles) in order to try and further hide which terms are being used.
    • Connections
      Featured in Friday Night with Jonathan Ross: Episode #11.8 (2006)
    • Soundtracks
      Chaje Shukarije
      Written and Performed by Esma Redzepova

      Courtesy of Times Square Records/World Connection Enterprises

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    FAQ26

    • How long is Borat?Powered by Alexa
    • How much of this film is scripted, how much is unscripted?
    • Was Pamela Anderson acting or was she one of Borat's unsuspecting victims?
    • What language was Borat really speaking when supposedly speaking Kazakh?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 3, 2006 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United States
      • United Kingdom
    • Languages
      • English
      • Romanian
      • Hebrew
      • Polish
      • Armenian
    • Also known as
      • Borat: El segundo mejor reportero del glorioso país Kazajistán viaja a América
    • Filming locations
      • Glod, Romania(Kazakhstan)
    • Production companies
      • Everyman Pictures
      • Dune Entertainment
      • Major Studio Partners
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $18,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $128,505,958
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $26,455,463
      • Nov 5, 2006
    • Gross worldwide
      • $262,552,893
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 24 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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