Borat has come a long, long way since his days growing up in a rural area of Kazakhstan. The moustached reporter, who is the alter ego of British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, spent Tuesday night rubbing shoulders with A listers like Courteney Cox and Sheryl Crow as he presented his new movie in Los Angeles.
The 35-year-old performer made a typically eyebrow-raising entrance in a horse-drawn limousine, before leading the fans gathered outside in a rendition the national anthem of his controversial persona's home country. Many of those on hand were not familiar with the tune, but the man of the moment helpfully provided them with lyric sheets and informed them they would have to answer to Kazakh agents if they did not get into the spirit of things.
He also found time to inform all those present that his unusually titled flick, Borat: Cultural Learnings Of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation Of Kazakhstan, was already a huge success in the land of his screen character's birth. "This movie has already been release in Kazakhstan and was blockbusterings," he declared. "It take top spot from Hollywood movie King Kongs, which had been number one film in Kazakhstan ever since it was release in 1932."
While Sacha insists his controversial character is meant only in the spirit of fun, representatives of the vast Asian country have been less than impressed with his depiction of their values. The energy-rich nation's foreign ministry argues that the polygamous and uncultured Borat has little in common with the diverse, forward-thinking population of modern Kazakhstan.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
