The Dictator

THE DICTATOR

Sacha Baron Cohen channels a dictator and demands laughter.

Better pose this time...Photo by Derek, also seeing The Dictator.

2012, Comedy, Rated R

Distributed by Paramount Pictures

          Sacha Baron Cohen is at it again. He's out to offend as many people as possible, but hopefully make just as many laugh. He succeeds almost every time he attempts this volatile combination. Da Ali G Show and his films based on it (Borat and Bruno) have been successes financially and critically. His only problem now is: where does he go from there?

          HBO's Da Ali Gi Show was Cohen's jump off into fame and stardom. He proved his chameleon-like acting abilities by going out into the unscripted world as ridiculous characters like Borat or Bruno, or my personal favorite, Ali G himself. If only he had a big screen film for me to review...

          The Dictator is sort of like that...sort of. Cohen plays the dictator of a fictional country in northern Africa called Wadiya. He is super rich from oil and wants to build nuclear weapons. The U.N. forces him to speak before it or it will take military action. The film pretty much chronicles his trip to America where he is set up by one of his own men, and has to regain power without his beard...It's a strange plot and one the trailer didn't allude to at all as far as I know.

          There are a few great cameos but they aren't plentiful enough or even all that funny. John C. Reily was my favorite, but he's only in the picture for a few short scenes. Ben Kingsley is a random choice for his role as the dictator's right-hand man, but he fills his shoes comfortably. I was shocked that the character Cohen refers to as a little boy turned out to be Anna Faris. I had no idea it was her with that boyish haircut and brown hair. She did a good job, but I involuntarily flinched sometimes when she was on screen. Edward Norton has a random speechless cameo that felt pointless.

          Cohen acts like his regular fish-out-of-water-in-America routine. The only major problem with The Dictator is the absence of real unscripted scenes with people unaware that they are being filmed. That is what makes Bruno and Borat so funny. I guess Cohen can't do that anymore, because he's more well-known these days. Because of this, the film feels tired, like it's been done many times before. There are many scenes that are trademark Sacha Baron Cohen envelope-pushing (like making multiple jokes about 9/11, and women's rights, and civil rights in general) and cause hearty laughter. I feel like it was just missing those priceless candid moments for me.

          All in all this one may be for you. There aren't that many comedies out right now so this is your ticket if you're searching for a laugh. I burst out in guilty chuckles many, many times, but I still felt like I would have been laughing even harder watching Da Ali G Show.

Side note: Ted looks ridiculous. I can't wait to review it.