Like its predecessor, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm is an unremitting wellspring of laughs, many refreshingly disgraceful. As with everything Cohen signs his name to, the artist’s mind may be in the gutter, but his moral compass generally points due north. Throwaway gags brought gales of giggles — the Johnny the Monkey/lipstick gag almost splintered my knee from the slapping it took — but this was the first time Sacha Baron Cohen asked more of his audience than their laughter. His experiment in empathy was a resounding success. The film’s two most memorable civilian exchanges involve Jeanise Jones, an African-American woman hired to babysit Borat’s wild child; and a Holocaust survivor he encounters while taking refuge at a synagogue. Compare them to the redneck who makes a strong first impression by offering Borat shelter from the pandemic. Once indoors, our innkeeper and his equally oblivious roomie champion “Pizzagate,” both secure in their knowledge that Hillary Clinton drinks the blood of babies. In Cohen’s universe, the virus was spread around the world to get even for a cruel joke, similar to the one that was elected in 2016. (2020) — Scott Marks
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