It's been three years since we last saw Sacha Baron Cohen on screen as gay Austrian fashionista Bruno. After the huge success of mockumentaries Borat and Bruno, hes reunited with director Larry Charles to go for a regular comedy with The Dictator, ' the story of a dictator who risked his life to ensure that democracy would never come to the country he so lovingly oppressed.' A daft premise, but one rich with comic potential.
Those expecting the shocking laugh out loud moments of Borat and Bruno should proceed with caution; this film falls somewhere between crude romantic comedy and political satire. We are introduced to the latest creation from Cohen's imaginations, Admiral General Aladeen, supreme ruler of Wadiya and easily the most likable despot you'll see on film, who , runs in his own Olympics, mourns for his fallen fellow dictators , let's Osama Bin Laden hide out in his guest house and just wants someone to cuddle. The first act of the film introducing us to Aladeen and his cohorts, including his uncle played by Ben Kingsley, is one of the funniest and most effective introductions to a character I've seen in a long time. Aladeen's penchant for execution provides some great moments, especially as what appears to be an innocent game on the Wii turns out to be something far more sinister and hilarious. Unfortunately, the start of the movie is also the funniest part of the movie, but there are still laughs to be had throughout.
After we are shown Aladeen's glamorous lifestyle that would make a Saudi Prince jealous, we are jetted off to America, as the heroic autocrat has to address the U.N. to save his country from missile strikes after its discovered he has been developing nuclear weapons. After being double crossed and replaced by a double, its up to Aladeen to prevent his beloved oppressed kingdom becoming a democracy. This second act is the weakest part of the movie and feels like a disconnected collections of sketches, with awkward attempts a love story thrown in. Some of the jokes here fall flat and feel like attempts at recreating the fish out of water comedy that made Borat great. Ben Kingsley and Anna Faris are both criminally underused.
The final act sees the film pick up pace and ends with a fantastic speech by the fictitious dictator to the U.N. which showcases Baron Cohen's talent for pointed barbed satire, which is glimpsed throughout the film but only flourishes at the end. The Dictator is a good comedy, which is bound to make you laugh, the satire is not too heavy, but present enough to lend weight to the humour and Sacha Baron Cohen is hugely enjoyable to watch when he's having this much fun. The crude, lude humour that made his previous films successful makes this a must watch for his fans and new comers alike, provided you're not disgusted by the thought of man losing his phone in a pregnant woman's vagina...
