MYST POST #3: THE DICTATOR

                                                    

If any of you have seen Borat or Bruno, and really enjoyed the sardonic humor in them, then this one is right down your alley. Personally, I never actually laugh at these movies, the best is a audible smirk, or a heavy exhale. However, this weekend my dad really wanted to watch this movie, so here we are...The movie is all about this guy from a fictional country called Wadiya. According to the producer and co-writer (and also leading role) Sacha Baron Cohen, it is based on actual dictators, such as Kim Jong-il, and Muammar Gaddafi. The movie doesn't really have much of a moral message to send across, other than democracy is really a subtle dictatorship when done correctly, at least in his country. Aladeen (Sacha Baron Cohen) is the Admiral General of Wadiya and he goes to America to deliver a speech basically stating that he refuses to give his people a democracy, because they "enjoy being oppressed". He ends up in New York city with his beard cut off, and no one recognizes him (because having a beard really is a defining characteristic in identifying a person..) so he befriends a tomboy-ish Anna Faris who owns a little grocery store that hires people from other countries that are discriminated. The irony in the movie is that he is all about power and dictatorship, and she is very liberal and all about forgiveness and the "everyone is special, and valuable, and can contribute to the world" type of persona. But naturally, of course, they fall in love, and the guy (since the male character always seems to be in the wrong) ends up changing his ways, into a not so democratic way of running a democracy in his country. The movie has a lot of funny scenes, and the dialogue is very sarcastic, and typically refers to real life stereotypes or jokes that are relatable as well as true, which makes the audience laugh. 

                                                       

       

The one scene that really stood out to me in the movie was the opening scene where they say he created his own Olympics, and he proceeds to run first, shoot the gun as he's running, and then shoot anyone within a close range who has a chance to catch up. I thought this scene was the funniest part of the movie, and it created a catchy intro that made you expect the rest of the movie to follow in the same manner. The angle of this shot was a far away one, in order to show the full landscape and backround. It was a fast paced shot, which is generally what the movie was filmed like as well. I don't think this scene is really critical to the movie, but that's because I don't think any of the scenes really had an impact on the movie as it doesn't really have a plot-line that needed to be enforced or kept along with. I think the most important element this scene contributed to the movie was that it set a good mood for the movie, and it kept you hoping that it would continuously get funnier as the movie went on, and depending on your perspective, you can argue it did. 

                                               

       The camera work in the movie was well done, it was a generally bright movie, that was fast paced, and kept you engaged. I think that they dragged a few parts out, simply because they lingered too long in hopes of it being funny, but that only diminished the effect, and made it rather the opposite. Like there was one scene in particular, where he sleeps with Megan Fox and then asks her to stay and cuddle, and she leaves because she didn't get a Rolex like Katy Perry had bragged that she received after her 'encounter' with Aladeen. Then after she leaves, its a little dramatic moment where you see that even though Aladeen has it all, he is still lonely as he gazes at his wall of pictures with all of his lady and some male conquests. I think the scene started out funny, but the length that they dragged it out was too much, and left me feeling like, "okay, we get it...". However, the lighting in the movie was done well, it usually took place in brightly lit rooms, or outside under the sun, creating that happy go lucky vibe and just a carefree type of aura. There were a few close up shots of Aladeen, usually to fully grasp his emotion (because you can't see his face under his beard? maybe?) But typically the shots were long ones, and captured the whole cast of people in the scene.

                                                             

       The main actor, Sacha Boran Cohen, previously starred in Borat which was a huge success (personally I thought it was funnier), and Bruno (which I never had a chance to see). I think its interesting to note that he starred and help write these movies, as well as working with the same director Larry Charles. All of the movies are mock-documentaries of real life things that have happened in the past, or stereotypes such as Borat. I think the acting was actually very good, and that Sacha Boran Cohen is a very talented actor. There are a few scenes that actually display some forms of emotion and he delivers spot on. The movie is directed okay-ish. I didn't really like the flow of this one, however the director did a way better job in Borat. So I do believe he's a good director, maybe this plot was just harder to work with, since it was based more on an actual dictator, while Borat was more a foreign stereotype. 

                                                

        Overall, I can't say this movie is worth the 83 minutes of running time, since there are only about 15 minutes worth watching, and you might as well have seen it all. On the other hand, you might be like my dad who definitely would rate it two thumbs up since he had tears of laughter running down his face the entire time. I would give the movie, two thumbs down, because I think that the type of humor in the movie is funny, and I'm all for the irony, and sarcasm, however I think the problem with this genre of movies is that you can only keep the audience engaged and laughing for so long, before it just starts getting lengthy and dull. The movie was a little repetitive, and drawn out, but for its genre it did achieve the humor it was aiming towards. I would recommend this movie if you seriously cant find anything else to do, and need something mindless to watch.