Both films have political points to make. And the “Borat” sequel actually interacts directly with Vice President Mike Pence and presidential adviser Rudy Giuliani, who has been forced to respond to his pants-down hotel flirtation with Bulgarian discovery Maria Bakalova, who landed a hotel room interview under the guise of a 15-year-old journalist who caters to the one-time mayor’s “preference for women with ample cheese-producing capacity.” In an ordinary year, “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” would be sidelined in the Oscar race with the possible exception of Best Adapted Screenplay. (This script is credited to nine writers, including Baron Cohen.) That was the first “Borat” film’s only nomination 13 years ago, and history could repeat. The writers is the only Academy branch that tends to recognize the high degree of difficulty for a raunchy comedy (see: “The Hangover,” “Bridesmaids”). But this time the movie’s dead-serious political aims will give it another advantage. And the slight Supporting Actress category might welcome rising comic star Bakalova. Netflix Clearly, Baron Cohen is not seeking awards kudos with this movie; he’s looking to generate headlines and get people to think about what disarming Kazakh Borat (in various disguises) elicits from ordinary Americans: some go along politely with his outrageous, often hateful, racist, misogynist, or anti-Semitic comments; others befriend him or play (or sing) along with him, and, occasionally, lecture him (thank God). Obviously, they were all being filmed for a movie, so there are artful behind-the-camera conversations involved.
The Netflix awards team is watching. It’s likely that all the brouhaha around “Borat” will aid their “Chicago 7” awards cause, not hurt it. Voters tend to reward an actor who is having a big year, and to focus on the more serious dramatic performance. Baron Cohen, meanwhile, has already been more present than usual on the promotional trail, from his recent editorial in Time magazine about disinformation to a flashy New York Times interview with Maureen Dowd. Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.
