4 posts tagged “movie”

Last night, however, I went to see a midnight screening of the new Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street starring Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter and directed by Tim Burton. AMAZING. I loved almost every bloody minute of it. I thought most of the casting decisions were backed by strong performances. The choice to go with "actors who sing" was a very bold one, but it gives "Sweeney Todd" a less polished feel, which fits perfectly with the story. I highly recommend checking this out. The greatest musical of all time has made its way to the silver screen in a BIG way. Can't wait to see it again, and buy it on DVD when it comes out.

Right now, I'm really tired. Seeing a movie at midnight, then traveling the next day don't do good things to me. heh.

So, I went to see Borat last night! I'd been looking forward to this movie just because of the absurdity that it promised. I saw the first trailer when I saw Miami Vice over the summer and started laughing after the first "Jakshemesh. My name-a Borat!" Most of it was hilarious and I laughed more than any move I've seen in awhile. On the other hand, some of it was so outrageously offensive and downright disgusting that you just kind of wanted to curl up in your seat and cry with horror. The basic premise is that Borat (a news reporter in Kazakhstan played by British comedian Sasha Baron Cohen) is sent to the USA to learn about American culture. He's thrown into many real-life situations where unsuspecting interviewees are shocked and embarrassed.

There's one scene where Borat goes on a local TV station and is interviewed by a reporter. After the hilarious interview, they move on to weather and Borat walks out in front of the forecaster. The guy just breaks down laughing. What's even funnier is that someone actually got themselves fired for letting him on the show after they found out that he wasn't actually a Kazantzaki reporter. There are numerous reports of real life implications that the film has had. It was banned in Russia and it forced Kazakhstan to start advertising for their nation in the United States so people wouldn't fall into Cohen's false portrayal of the country.

The TV lady Borat got fired

Two lawsuits dealing with events in the film have gotten recent media attention. The village which Borat calls home feels that they were deceived:

Borat film 'tricked' poor village actors
They claim film-makers lied to them about the true nature of the project, which they believed would be a documentary about their hardship, rather than a comedy mocking their poverty and isolation.

In addition to this, Borat is picked up by some frat boys from the University of South Carolina and interacts with them while they're completely wasted. Let's just say they said some things on film that they now regret:

Humiliated frat boys sue 'Borat'
The legal action filed Thursday on their behalf claims they were duped into appearing in the spoof documentary "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan," in which they made racist and sexist comments on camera.

This shows the extent to which Cohen will go to make a quality film. This is more than reality television. It's fooling people and exposing their idiocy. At this, the 'Borat' character has proven a master. The downside to making a movie like this is that there can be no sequel. He has basically killed Borat by exposing him. Everyone knows who he is now. He can no longer go undercover.

The majority of this movie is hilarious and you will laugh your head off. There are some parts that will make you want to close your eyes and say, "Please... let it be over soon." I'd say it's worth seeing to understand the trials Sasha Baron Cohen put himself through while making this movie. He is one dedicated filmmaker.