The Dictator
2012 Directed by Larry Charles
Synopsis
The heroic story of a dictator who risks his life to ensure that democracy would never come to the country he so lovingly oppressed.
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Film #26 of 'It's June Jim, but not as we know it.'
There is one thing that Cohen does like no other contemporary comedian. He can inhabit a character without inhibition, shamelessly giving himself over to the absurdities of his creation. Starting with Ali G and later perfecting it with Borat.
The thing those two have in common is that their comedy is not only found in the genius of the character and Cohen's talent, but also in us being witness to how the humour affects real people. Add to that the fact that Cohen in character seems to be able to get people to do and say just about anything and you're in for some unique and quite edgy…
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Sacha Baron Cohen’s comic creations always work best when working unscripted and interacting with the unsuspecting public. I guess now being a star on both sides of the Atlantic has made flying under the radar much harder so like the failed Ali G in Da House he has had to return to narrative comedy. Sadly this return is far from successful with a character lacking the innocent charm of Bruno or Ali G and broad comedy that rarely raises a smile let alone a laugh.
His comedy has always bordered on the crass and inappropriate but his best comic characters have also had a naive charm that made the crude gags work. General Aladeen is undoubtedly stupid but he isn’t…
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"Give a man a vagina and he will shpichs for a day. Teach a man to use his hand as a vagina, and he will shpichs for a lifetime."
General AladeenI loved Borat and thought Bruno was OK. That being said this film fits nicely in between those two previous films. It's definitely not better than Borat in my opinion, but it's quite a bit better than Bruno. I recommend it to any one who has enjoyed SBC's previous work. If you didn't like his previous films then odds are you'll hate this one.
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I didn't laugh or smile once.
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"Democracy looks like a midget in a chemo wig"
Assign your own score depending on how much that line makes you chuckle!
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Now who is the Lasist?
-AladeenIt's offensive, obscene, disgusting, vulgar and above all quite funny. Is it really that offensive? Well that depends on the person. It takes an Archie Bunker approach to the comedy. In other words it's not the racism that is funny, but the ignorance of the racist. Over 30 years later some people still find All in the Family offensive and not funny, so it's safe to say some people will think the same of this movie. I by no means think that The Dictator is making the same level of social commentary that All in the Family was, but the way the humor is approached is the same... in a broad way... if you're…
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Obviously not a fantastic film, and is nowhere near as funny as Borat was, but I (surprisingly) enjoyed this one more than I expected to. Had a few good laughs in it, was good to watch on a Monday afternoon while I was eating lunch and looking for something on Netflix.
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Ludicrous, but I appreciated it. The pace was consistent and appropriate for a film that seems inspired by an idea more than an actual story. All the SNL and Mad Tv rejects fill the cast like the latest Epic Movie. The length...barely 70 minutes supports the notion that money was the real reason for this picture. But I give Sacha Baron Cohen the benefit of the doubt. He's very talented and dedicated to his performances. I can't wait for his portrayal of Freddie Mercury to hit the big screen.
It's refreshing to see absurdity, and freedom in such a movie. A little more structure would have been nice. But that's saved for another day. Probably not as good as Borat…
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Nowhere near as good as Borat or Bruno. Felt more like an excuse for Sacha Baron Cohen to try out a new accent for 80 minutes. I did like the helicopter scene and the climax, though.
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What a shame, after the successes of Borat and Bruno, that Sacha Baron Cohen makes this. In principal The Dictator is a great idea for a film, but it's executed with cheese and a lack of flair.
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I'm slightly embarrassed to admit that I laughed at this way more than I thought I would.
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5.5
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Film #26 of 'It's June Jim, but not as we know it.'
There is one thing that Cohen does like no other contemporary comedian. He can inhabit a character without inhibition, shamelessly giving himself over to the absurdities of his creation. Starting with Ali G and later perfecting it with Borat.
The thing those two have in common is that their comedy is not only found in the genius of the character and Cohen's talent, but also in us being witness to how the humour affects real people. Add to that the fact that Cohen in character seems to be able to get people to do and say just about anything and you're in for some unique and quite edgy…
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I went in knowing his work is typically offensive and ridiculous and that this likely wouldn't be any different. It's just not funny.
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There is a time and place for everything... It's true, I really think this film could have been a fair no-brainer, after a beer or 20, while watching with friends. But that won't make me give this more than just one star. It's cheap humor, doesn't require much thinking and if you watch this movie when bearing quality in mind, you will be tempted to smack your head multiple times into a wall.
Whatever this movie may be, it's predictable in the way that you know it's going to be low-level humor, racial stereotyping and a lot of obscene situations, but for some it could be quite enjoyable.
If you are looking for some cheap laughs without having to think much, this won't be a waste of time... so for the other 98% of you guys here on letterboxd, don't bother.