Six Hilarious Ways Borat 2 Raises The Bar of Social Commentary
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm is the sequel to the acclaimed 2006 mockumentary Borat. Kazakh journalist Borat Sagdiyev (Sacha Baron Cohen reprising his role) is back after 14 years and like last time, this time too he travels to the USA, but with a different objective. He has a ‘gift’ that he plans to give vice-president Michael Pence. The film, streaming now on Amazon Prime Video, has been directed by Jason Woliner and also stars Maria Bakalova as Borat’s daughter Tutar.
Borat Subsequent MovieFilm is a biting satire set in present-day America. From the current political scenario in the country to the coronavirus pandemic, the film takes everything into its fold. While the first film, that exposed the prejudices of the Americans, went on to enjoy cult status, this one takes things several levels higher. It takes on the mighty and powerful without giving a damn about political correctness. In trademark Borat style, this film, while filled with gags, is a savage commentary on the world we live in. The film is as fearless as it is relevant and that’s what makes it such a compulsive watch.
Here are six hilarious ways in which Borat Subsequent Moviefilm raises the bar of social commentary.
#1 Takes on the powerful
US President and First Lady Donald and Melania Trump, vice-president Mike Pence or Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Guiliani, the film spares no one. In fact, the film takes ample potshots at Trump. The most amusing one has got to be an animated film within the film that alludes to a controversial statement made by him in an infamous tape.
#2 Smile, you’re on camera?
The film takes risks one can only think of. In one scene, Borat disguises himself as Trump, carries his daughter on one shoulder and crashes Mike Pence’s CPAC speech. Another scene where Tutar poses as a journalist and interviews Giuliani ends with him putting his hands down his pants. All of this is caught on camera. These are real pranks that the makers of the film have managed to pull off on such powerful people. While it’s hilarious to watch them play out on screen, one can’t help but imagine how risky filming them was.
#3 ‘Literally’ shocking
To highlight the issue of migrant children being illegally held in detention centres, there’s a sequence that shows Borat actually shopping for a cage. Yes, it’s that literal. He even asks the store manager how many girls can be put in the cage, to which the clueless man replies one. Borat then brings up the uncomfortable topic of Mexican children. That scene spells out the horror of migrant kids in such a literal sense, leaving you shocked.
#4 Certainly not a cakewalk
The beauty of Borat Subsequent Moviefilm is that the film shows you several problematic things that have been normalised in American society, and one of them is hatred for Jews. The film has a scene where Borat is buying a cake and asks the woman to write ‘Jews Will Not Replace Us’ on it. Like all scenes, this one too starts out as a funny one, but ends up making a strong point. Like whoever would’ve thought that a ‘cake’ scene will leave you gobsmacked.
#5 Woman as equals? No, thanks
The film takes a hard look at the systemic sexism, misogyny and patriarchy that women are subject to even today. Watch out for that particularly powerful part where Tutar is speaking to her father about the things women can do. He then reads from a manual and then tells her that women can’t be journalists, they can’t drive a car and can’t even ask questions. That manual is perhaps a great metaphor for society that still fails to treat women as equals.
#6 Pandemic conspiracy theories
What makes the film wonderfully topical is the way it has woven the conspiracy theories around the pandemic in the narrative. We hear references to the ‘Chinese virus’ and how it has been made in a lab. The funniest part is when Borat performs at an anti-lockdown protest to a song that has lines such as ‘Corona is a liberal hoax’ and ‘Inject him with the Wuhan flu’.
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm is a brilliant film that will shock you as much as it will entertain you. Sometimes the jokes can get really dark, but we haven’t seen such sharp social commentary in a film in a long, long time. Besides, Sacha Baron Cohen and Maria Bakalova are terrific in their roles.
You can watch the film on Amazon Prime Video.
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