I absolutely loved this film when it came out, Borat was my favourite character in Da Ali G Show way back when & I laughed an awful lot. Having said that [Curb reference lol] as time has gone by I've found myself agreeing more and more with what Kermode says about the easiness and softness of the targets SBC goes for. I wish he would go for more difficult targets. I've not watched it in a few years and I'm really worried that if I did I won't find it as funny as I did the first time.....
Nah, it was a pile of bollocks. Some of his worst output by a country mile, especially as that character. Worked much better when it was more subtly done.
@chanceie12 no, thats an excuse he uses to make the audience not feel guilty at that fact that a well educated man snearing at the less fortunate. The racist, sexist people who cause the most problems, are the wealthy, smart ones. But he does not pick on them, becaue thay would see through him, and the comedy would not work.
I'll not forgive him for saying ALI G INDAHOUSE was terrible. It was absolutely hilarious even if it ditches the documentary, interview aesthetic from the original sketch programme!
Taking the piss out of himself? you mean doing a stereotypical accent while acting stupid and pretending to be from a poor country? Yeah, that's really punching down.
His reviews on comedies are usually poor. He doesn't get humor. He doesn't seem to understand that it doesn't take a thought process, laughter is just a natural reaction. Borat should not be taken seriously and its not trying to make any serious political statements like kermode thinks it is. The bottom line is its hilarious.
Anyone else watching this after watching Borat 2? I loved the original. I don't think its about making fun, its about being uncomfortable. It's playing with our societal limits. What can you say and then saying what you can't. I laughed hard.
@jakebiomask Have you seen another reviewer you like then? Because I have seen no other reviewer who, while i don't always agree with him, talks a heck of a lot of sense.
Borat is one of the funniest films ever made. There were a few objectionable scenes and a few set ups, but it was a film trying to be funny, and succeeding.
+C Chadwick "one of the funniest films ever made"...really? I didn't find it as distasteful as Mark but it was just A Bit Shit. Sure, I did chuckle a few times but no belly laughs. And if we're going for Funniest Films Ever Made, this ain't even in the top 250.
andyr0ck you do know what you find funny is a subjective thing right? And putting 'one of the funniest films ever made' in quotations really wasn't necessary. You could've just paraphrased, or responded to the assertion with your own *subjective* view. I like your use of the word 'ain't' in your final sentence. The grammatical change is effective (but 'A Bit Shit').
+C Chadwick Of course, comedy is *patently* a subjective thing. The quote marks, they were double, not single so I wasn't being quite as condescending as it maybe appeared. I do believe, however, that if you make bold statements like "Borat is one of the funniest films ever made", you should be prepared to defend your position (even just a bit), regardless of the subjectivity of humour. Regarding my subjective review, me saying it A Bit Shit was just that, my subjective review. If I was actually reviewing the film for a publication, I would have titled it "Borat: A Bit Shit". I was also being serious about a lack of belly laughs. But maybe I over-simplified, allow me to expand the point: as someone who used to enjoy the Borat TV pieces, I was disappointed to see that it had lost what subtlety it originally had and replaced it with trying to be rank (the wrestling scene, for one) and pointing and laughing at 'stupid Americans'. I definitely don't take as much issue as Kermode does with the concept of laughing at our dear cousins but I don't want to actually pay for the pleasure, especially when it's done quite so crudely. Call me snobby but the original material had a *little* bit more brains than that. Anyway, apologies if you thought I was being rude, or condescending or any other kind of negative...I was merely questioning the concept whilst trying to maintain a bit of levity, hence capitalising phrases and using shifts in tone. Hope this has been less inflammatory to read. :-)
andyr0ck your first comment wasn't inflammatory. It was a critique of my 'position' on Borat's comedic stature. Your second comment was an overzealous over-explanation of your first comment (if you'll pardon the tautology). My response to you was my analysis of your first comment being overkill. My second response (this one) is my reassurance that your first comment wasn't inflammatory and that your second comment was overzealous; the irony being that this response is now an overzealous over-explanation of your overkill. It's becoming complicated. I didn't give examples of which parts of Borat were funny because 'prerogative'. My original comment was an innocent ejaculation that I intended only as minimal relief. Catharsis if I can put it that way.
@attenbergdvd Well humour is subjective. Personally I don't find the Big Labowski or Life of Brian funny at all, but it must be funny since it works for so many people. If you go into a screening of Borat, or even Bruno, I'd say about 95% of people will be howling with laughter the entire length of the movie. In that way it works brilliantly at what its trying to do. Still, I respect Marks opinion as I do yours, we all have a different sense of humour.
You started the ad hominem attacks, not me. The evidence is here, in black and white. Comparing my use of "words no one else uses anymore" such as "diatribe" to writing in Middle English is unutterably stupid. Reading Middle English is almost like reading a foreign language. "Diatribe" and "infantile" are still used by people, and people (including you) are well aware of their meaning, so for you to dismiss me on those grounds demonstrates that you don't know what the hell you're talking about.
Absolutely. Look how close they came to storming the capital and starting another civil war. Kermode needs to stand just because they're an easy target doesn't mean they don't deserve it. Which they do at every opportunity
Everyone's got their own opinions. Everyone eaches their own. I like Mark Kermode, one of the best crititcs ever. If he deosn't like this film, I RESPECT it. He didn't like Nightmare on Elm Street and Texas Chainsaw Massacre Remakes. I found them decent. I RESPECT that. I think Borat is an excellent comedy but once again, i respect his opinion because everyone in general is entitled to their own opinion.
The one great and reliable thing about Kermode is that he is absolutely un-pretentious. I don't know who you're trying to convince with that little diatribe of yours.
I gotta admit I almost took your comment seriously for a moment and then I realised the irony of it. Great work. I like comments which make you think a little. Too many people jump straight on the face value of words and don't look deeper into the meaning. Bit like Kermode. Haha.The last part about meaning, not jumping to conclusions.
It’s a silly ass movie but he’s absolutely right I have a really dumb friend who quotes it all the time and it makes me laugh cause it appeals to that silly absurdist side of you that frankly Eric Andre has done much better at this point.
Kermode truly missed the value of Borat, maybe he just brought in an overtly liberal mindset into the viewing. I doubt Kermode would be able to find a theatre that showed Borat and didn't have a majority of the audience howling, which goes to the point of the "if everybody else likes it, maybe there's something wrong with you" argument. In this review, Kermode truly comes off as a stuffy old liberal (the type in America who say, "we need a female president" without any thought into the actual ideology and interests of that person).
Couldn't agree more, the point with Borat is the character lifts the lid on the ignorance and the potential racism. They meet this guy from another country who appears backward to them and the way they react to him reflects this. It also shines a light on the misogyny of those frat guys who pick him up in their camper van. It's a funny and more insightful film than Kermode gives it credit for, and he clearly can't see anything beyond his narrow liberal world view. It's not perfect but it scores far more than it misses. The scenes in New York are fantastic.
If Mark Kermode likes something I l know I usually wont, cold not resist checking this 4 conformation. If it was set in a french village before the war and nothing happens for 2 hours he would love it.
I think to be fair Borat in his own right is such a laughable character that he drives the comedy forward in his own right. The reason my friends and I enjoy this movie so much is because it gave us a load of soundbites to throw at each other from time to time. That wasn't dependent on the setups or the politics. It was just because Borat is a funny character🤷♂
No, because sacarsm is in the intonation of voice, not through text. I actually thought you were being ironic (which doesn't need intonation of voice to express itself) but I can see you are just not a nice person and spend your life getting kicks out of commenting on other people's comments. No one uses the word diatribe nowadays and I hardly think my opinion equates it. I'm not a fan of Kermode. Quite a few other people aren't either. Get over it.
@blokey8 Yeah, I think the the nightmare on elm street is nothing special. But they tried with what they had. It was purely done for the money I do know that and it did show. Ever that way, the makers of that film were selling themselves short. What made the 1984 film a classic was that the film was smart in terms of story, plot holes, scenes, kills and the dread of surealism and the dream world. The remake is good and beats most of the sequels, it just doesn't stand on the original's level.
Good comeback using my retorts as your own. 'Challenge not accepted'...you've resorted to quoting tv shows now have you? (also 'Smeg off'). It is a very valid point that no one uses them. If someone were to start talking in Middle English then this would be strange so, sorry, point stands. You need to re-read what I said. I was exampling the way YOU are behaving. You are the one who started this argument (can't even call it a debate now because you bought it down to the level of ad hominem).
I think you know are wrong and trying to use a thesaurus to rehash near-obsolete words to undermine me hasn't worked. I am not upset that you disagreed with me. You are entitled to your opinion, just as much as I am but the fact you stated my opinion was 'diatribe' (who says that?? plus 'infantile') was just as assumptious as me telling you how to 'spend your life'. It also appears you need the last word otherwise satisfaction is not guaranteed. Prove me wrong on that one.
He says 'is it side-splitting funny? The people around me would answer that question yes [I paraphrase] Me? I didn't laugh once' Kermode is such a miserable sod. He believes a good film is one without a plot (said in an argument with Radio 1 film critic James King) and has something to say about society. That doesn't mean he says a film can't be funny but it really limits what films he actually likes. I've never liked Kermode. I've always thought of him as pretentious and missing the point.
Sacha Baron Cohen is a very good actor but a very overrated satirist. Sometimes I suspect you're not laughing at him, you're laughing at his targets and I would agree with Kermode in that they are often easy targets who cop for enough shit in life anyway.
"No one uses the word diatribe nowadays" Utterly infantile. Exactly what purpose was that statement meant to serve? "I can see you are just not a nice person and spend your life getting kicks out of commenting on other people's comments." Why? Because I think Kermode is not pretentious? That means I am filled with hate? That allows you to ascertain how I "spend my life"? Cheer up, old boy. In truth, the situation is very simple: I disagreed with you. "Get over it".
I've seen Kermode give positive reviews to complete garbage. This film is something called "cringe humor". Kermode doesn't understand what cringe humor is imo. I love Kermode but he missed the mark on this one.
I won't critcise you for using the word pompous, though. I'm not saying I am. Just won't criticise you for the usage. I will however state that because I am right about you unable 'to let sleeping dogs lie' (talking to you on your level), you can retort to your heart's content. Whatever makes you sleep at night. Considering you started this, I'll let you believe you can finish it. Good luck.
A lot of Borat doesn't work, for the reasons Kermode gives. It's a good idea and it does work well sometimes, but yes, it is mostly crass, limp and superficial.
Mark Kermode can't take comedies for what they are, he slagged off Superbad as well. He can't just take the jokes for what they are, not everything has to have a meaning.
Yes, I can use 'archaic' words too. Secondly I am not going round in circles, merely replying to things you are stating - all of which are pointless to the original statement that I find Kermode pretentious. While my 'personal attack' about you being not a nice person and getting a kick out of trolling other people's comment is not entirely unfounded, I fail to see how any of your personal attacks are meant for me? How am I a hypocrite, for example? Dislikeable? Unlikeable, you mean.
I think what happens is the most people, myself included just think its hilarious because its so rediculous and the way the peoples incredibly objectionable veiws seem to come flowing out. It is incredibly stupid and I totally agree with the review...but I just cant not laugh when he does stuff like sign a song about throwing jews into a well lol
Agreed. Borat plays to the audience with an inherent need to feel superior to others. Unfortunately, that's a lot of people. Here's hoping that Freddy Mercury biopic is axed before they start filming.
"It also appears you need the last word... Prove me wrong on that one." Challenge not accepted. Again, you criticise me for using words like "diatribe" and "infantile", not because you think those words are being used out of context, but because apparently "no one else says them". Seriously, are you 7 years old or something? What kind of point is that to make? And re-read your post, you wrote that I "spend my life getting kicks blah blah blah". You wrote that, no assumption necessary. Smeg off.
@blokey8 Yer Ino. Hey Ik this is turning into a question/conversation sort of thing but what did you think of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Halloween & The Omen Remakes?
Yes, you're not part of the same species, you're a supercilious movie Analisa and no longer a citizen of Punterville, as you occasionally allude to being. Too late - it's gone
100% agree with kermode. There was one funny scene in all of Borat, and it was cut out of the movie. It takes place in the cheese aisle of a grocery store. It is on the special features.
This guy gets it. The smugness of this film was so overwhelming, I only lasted forty-five minutes into it and I don't recall laughing once. Great comedians, even when poking fun at specific groups, remind us that we're are all in the same boat. Borat, however, was all about looking down on "the other". It was mean-spirited, and even worse it was boring.
