Borat the Subsequent Moviefilm – 7

Taken for what it is–a raunchy and absurdist political comedy–this sequel to Borat (the original moviefilm) was less offensive, less remarkable, less groundbreaking but still rather astonishing. By now I am more familiar with the acting talents and intelligence of Sacha Baron Cohen (see, e.g., Trial of the Chicago 7), but I still have no idea how he gets away with what he films. The scene with Rudy Giuliani was a masterstroke, and I’m guessing it shaped much of what precedes it in the film, which makes the relative coherence of the “plot” more explicable but still impressive. The subjects he mocks are deserving and well chosen, and this time around I felt less need to immediately take a shower.