A LONG TIME AGO THERE WAS A variety show on television that I used to watch, when I was a small child. What this TV program did for me was to reveal a world of unexpectedness and surprise. I can still remember the first time I saw a human being bend backwards. For being a little kid, I was mesmerized by this woman as she bent herself into all kinds of shapes as part of a circus act that was performing on the show. Behind her there was a man who was blowing flames out of his mouth like a dragon. I wondered if that was how he cooked his dinner. My first encounter with ventriloquism took place while watching this variety show. I could not believe what I was seeing, a talking doll. Whether these episodes sparked my imagination or not, I cannot say; however, I have always gravitated towards things that could not be believed when seen. To a little child, seeing a magnifying glass set paper on fire with the sun’s rays was pure magic. I used to carry a magnifying glass when outside that I would pretend was a ray gun, so I could try and burn holes in blades of grass, tree trunks and car doors among other things. The world was a magical place of fantasy for me.      THAT WORLD OF CHILDHOOD DISSOLVED AND evolved as I became educated during my school years. I discovered the reasons/science behind those things that I thought were magical. This did not make me sad; if anything, it fueled a stronger sense of curiosity or let me say inquisitiveness in me. Part of me thinks these feelings spurred me to study the sciences in my schoolings; however, by no means did it curtail my wonderment for the unbelievable. If you were to have asked me, when I was younger, if I thought there would come a time when things that stunned or surprised us would have become fewer and farther between, I would have had to be in agreement. It makes sense to me; as children there are more things of wonder than when we are aged and older. There are not many things that surprise me these days. Only recently have I seen things that I could not explain fully. Hearing the comments and beliefs some people have about other people is both startling and mind blowing to me; I cannot believe what I am seeing and hearing. My curiosity gets prodded into trying to understand how a person came to their conclusions, but the perplexed feelings I have make me stare in disbelief. It might be easier to explain this if you choose to watch this shocking comedy.      HOPING TO GAIN THE UNITED STATES’ favor for his country Borat Sagdiyev, played by Sacha Baron Cohen (Les Miserables, Alice Through the Looking Glass), comes up with a plan to give his daughter away to a high elected official. He would just have to get through the politician’s supporters. With Maria Bakalova (The Father, Transgression) as Tutar Sagdiyev, Tom Hanks (Cast Away, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood) playing himself, relative newcomer Dani Popescu as Premier Nazarbayev and newcomer Manuel Vieru as Dr. Yamak; this film was uncomfortable to watch at times. There certainly were scenes that shocked me into disbelief, to the point I was questioning their authenticity. As I mentioned earlier, despite being uncomfortable while watching this movie, there were other times where I laughed out loud. The fact that I saw the first Borat film, there was less of a surprise factor with this picture. Also, I thought the story within story format dulled this movie’s prospects; I started to get bored with the father/daughter dynamic early on. Yet, with some scenes I still cannot get over how outrageous they were in nature and content. Just when one thinks they have seen and heard everything the past couple of years, this movie comes along and provides a surprise.                      

2 2/3 stars