The Dictator

"The Dictator" starring Sasha Baron Cohen, Anna Faris, and Sir Ben Kingsley comes out today, May 17. I, like others, had high expectations for this film given all the hype. And it did not disappoint. The film was quite entertaining and I recommend it. I would place this film below the hilarious "Borat" and above the upsetting "Bruno."

The movie actually has a plot line, which doesn’t seem to get advertised much. All everyone is seeing in the marketing campaign is General Aladeen, The Dictator. But there is more than that. The film contains numerous celebrity cameos which are exciting. The run time is approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes, which is enough time to keep your attention. They really try to keep you laughing literally every second. All the comedy is based on one-liners and quick back hand comments.

As norm for all Sash Baron Cohen projects, this film pushes the boundaries. It has everything from offense jokes to full frontal male nudity. The nice surprise though is Anna Farris’ performance. I didn’t even know she was in the film. She’s a pleasure to watch and is rather funny.

I must say though, I didn’t laugh out loud (like I did in “Borat”) as often as I expected to. The film definitely dates itself and relates to todays “current events.” There are the random shots of Obama and the obvious references to Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein. Along with these references, General Aladeen brings to light the economic issues faced in the U.S. He is almost making us laugh at ourselves. I would like to think there’s an underlying message in the film. The fact that we allow such stupidity and obvious chaos in parts of the world is outrageous. I think Cohen is slapping us in the face, so to speak, as to how despicable our world has become.

“The Dictator” is well made film and was a pleasant watch. 

SEE IT!

Bonus: The outtakes are hilarious, so stay seated while the credits run.