Borat

I finally saw Borat. Outstanding. I haven't seen a comedy as clever or one that takes so many risks for years and years and years. Kind of like Andy Kaufman meets Coyle and Sharpe. Whether you like the film or not, you've got to admire Sacha Baron Cohen's performance. This guy should win the Oscar for Best Actor this year.

In formal terms, the film is a very experimental work in some respects, in the way that it mixes documentary and fiction film techniques to present a pastiche-work which nonetheless develops along a somewhat conventional three-act structure. Also, the way that he avoids letting the subjects in on the joke is perhaps ethically unsound (I'm undecided) but nonetheless leads him into darker, more complex, and ultimately funnier territory than the usual nonsense that results from the "gotcha" setup.

The best of luck with your lawsuits in the New Year, Mr. Cohen!!