Borat Subsequent Moviefilm – which premiered a week ago – is the current subject of discussions, creating a divide in people’s opinions.
There are those who absolutely loved the film, and those who thought the sequel falls short in comparison to the first one.
Sacha Baron Cohen returns to The United States as Borat fourteen years after his first film, and this time the Kazakhstan reporter has also brought along his teenage daughter Tutar.
The pair are preparing 15-year-old Tutar – played by Maria Bakalova – to be given to the US Vice President Mike Pence, in an attempt to redeem Kazakhstan’s reputation and get the approval of US officials.
Tutar – who is used to living in a cage – lacks self-hygiene and basic knowledge and is in the urgent need of a full makeover. Borat decides to take her shopping, accompany her to a debutante ball and even promises to pay for her plastic surgery etc – all to make her attractive and desirable for men.
In the meantime, Tutar gains more self-respect and discovers lies and myths that her father has taught her, which explains why she makes an escape from Borat and turns out to be a strong and independent journalist.
The film proves that the problems that existed more than a decade ago are still very relevant, like antisemitism, misogyny, racism and conspiracy theories, with American people either proudly admitting to them, or not objecting to shockingly hateful statements.
There are some scenes that are so wild you’d think they’d be scripted – but no. Most of the film is conducted in a way that the people in it are partly or fully in the dark about the essence of this exposé and are just in their natural habitat.
For example, there’s a scene of New York’s former mayor in a questionable position at underaged Tutar’s hotel room; also, there’s one bit where Borat performs a horribly offensive song at a gun rally and the Trump supporters happily sing along.
As Borat is now known and recognised world-wide, it must have been much more difficult to prank people into agreeing to be part of the sequel. That is why Borat is disguised as different characters most of the film, whilst also having to wear a bullet-proof vest under some of his costumes for protection.
The belated sequel has successfully managed to keep the satirical and shocking over-the-top humour, but has also added some emotional value to the film with Tutar’s character’s growth and relationship with her father.
The topics are very current and relevant – like the Coronavirus, US elections, Instagram influencers, feminism, abortion policies, hate crimes and the world of plastic enhancements.
Even though some of the jokes are disturbing and very inappropriate, the goal of the production team is not to encourage hatred, but to bring attention to the problems of inequality and prejudice.
I wouldn’t say that either of the films is exceptionally better than the other, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm has maintained the elements that have caused the original film to be such a world-wide hit, while also keeping up with contemporary topics and exposing everything that is wrong with America, and ultimately the world.
By Kirke Viira
Feature image: NME.com