The Dictator

Cause, you know Sacha Baron Cohen of course needs to show his penis or a penis in some capacity.

The Dictator is a similar movie to the kinds of movies Cohen has done in the past like Borat and Bruno where he portrays a character and points out a lot of the things wrong with American culture. However the Dictator is different in that instead of putting a fictional character in a series of situations in the real world and seeing people's reactions, the Dictator is for the most part all part of a fictional world.

Cohen plays the dictator of a fictional Middle Eastern Country called Wadiya. He's suppose to be a satirical version of Muammar Gaddafi as he goes about doing whatever he wants with no regard for his people and the rest of the world. He then goes to America and is thrown into a situation where nobody recognizes him because he loses his beard... and therefore must walk the streets of New York as a normal person.

There were a lot of funny moments in this movie. There's a part where Cohen and his friend are trying to get an overlook of the hotel they're trying to break into. They go into a helicopter with a white couple

and they're trying to act all American. They then start talking in Arabic and say things that definitely make the couple think they're plotting a terrorist attack after mentioning 9/11, explosions and buildings in New York.

I enjoy this satirical humor... but I don't quite know where Cohen is trying to do with this. Take the helicopter scene for example. The couple at first is a little nervous because they're talking in arabic or something. Little prejudicial maybe but its something audiences understand. We've probably seen or have had moments where we see something we don't understand and it makes us nervous. But then Cohen's and his friend clearly say Osama Bin Laden, 9/11, make exploding sounds, and mention the Empire States building. Why wouldn't they freak out?

I guess its a satire that over exaggerates but I guess its not the kind of satire I'm totally clear on. There's a part in the end where Cohens asks an audience of people, why doesn't America be a dictatorship? You can keep the majority of the world's wealth with the 1% and all these things that already happen in America. But then he says that democracy isn't perfect but its good... But throughout the entire movie Cohens is trying to get back to his status and keep his country a dictatorship. And even when it becomes a democracy he forces people to vote for him with a tank... so the whole democracy thing was kind of pointless. Putting a mirror up America and pointing out its deficiencies is sometimes a really good message to put across but I just don't feel like The Dictator did it that well.

But forget my ignorance.

Though there were a lot of funny lines and moments in the film, I finished it with a very unsatisfied feeling. I enjoyed the humor but just said at the end, "That was kind of stupid." And past a level of stupidity that I feel like watching the movie was rewarding.

I wish I could say more about the Dictator. If you liked Bruno or Borat, chances are you'll really enjoy this movie. If you like South Park you may like it. However I've always felt that although South Park is vulgar and satirical, it has a message to it that is actually quite intelligent. I didn't feel as though this movie fulfilled the goal it was going towards if it was trying to a smart movie with a dumb premise.

Maybe I'm just being a snob but I'm not really a fan of this movie.

The performances are alright, Sacha Baron Cohen commits to these roles he plays which I have to commend. Ben Kingsley... wasn't really that exciting of a character. I don't know, I just got a feeling of being underwhelmed from this movie. I'm not sure what I was expecting but I won't say I recommend it.

Kind of a short review but there you go. Let me know what you think. If you have a handle on the message this movie was trying to get across, please let me know. Let's discuss it. Otherwise let me now what you thought and whether or not it holds up with the other movies Cohen has made.