Borat Subsequent Moviefilm review- cringe- inducing but hilarious sequel

There have been multiple questions asked about Sacha Baron Cohen’s return to his signature role. Is it the film of the moment? Will it impact the results of the election? Will it ruin certain political careers? As of today, it still feels relatively up in there for answers. As election day approaches in less than 2 weeks, nearly 50 million Americans have already voted. Therefore, it seems unlikely that the Amazon original sequel will have much of an impact.

 Perhaps an even more important question is far easier to answer. Is it funny? And the short answer is yes. Cohen may not have lived up to the standards set by his 2006 gargantuan hit. But as a comedy sequel, there’s far worse options out there.

The plot focuses on Cohen returning as the Kazakh journalist Borat Sagdiyev. After the events of the first film, he has been tortured by his government and rejected by his people.  Now to restore his reputation in his home country, he is forced to go to America to give his daughter Tutar (Maria Bakalova) as a potential bride for Vice President Mike Pence.

Cohen has not concealed his personal political agenda. This same month, he stars in the Aaron Sorkin directed ‘Trial of the Chicago 7’, a film that has been accused by many on the left and right as being “liberal propaganda”. And his attacks on social media websites like Facebook have proven that he does not hide his own beliefs. He certainly has a political message to make here, made even more evident by the call to vote during the end credits. Whilst the original Borat did not shy aware from some of the more unpleasant aspects of American culture, Cohen’s intention is to show that the Trump mindset dominates good portions of the country.  Rather than Borat’s sexist and racist rhetoric fulfilling the “fish out of water” narrative from the original, he seems to fit in place with the people he encounters.

Much of the film can be watched through cowering behind a cushion as one cringes at each of Borat’s antics. Yet, there is a creativity to each one of his gags. It can come across like a random series of events rather than doing much to progress the narrative. Frankly though, you are not thinking about it as you both laugh and recoil into your chair.

Whilst Cohen is as funny as he ever was, much should be written about the performance of Bakalova. She is as brave as Cohen in the antics, doing and saying some of the most outrageous and outlandish acts ever committed to cinema. Whilst the father-daughter dynamic can feel cliché, it adds some much-needed heart in this film which is scarier than most horror.

The sequel does have that worry of becoming dated, especially due to its timeliness with the election. Unlike the original, this will not stand the test of time as a comedy classic. However, it probably has more to say about contemporary American politics and attitudes than the “s*itshow” debate from a few weeks back. Most importantly, it delivers the laughs that it promises. And during these strange times, laughter is perhaps the only thing we can do.