L ifestyles /C ulture
If You Loved ‘Borat,’ You’ll Like the Sequel
FI L M
ANDY GOTLIEB | JE MANAGING EDITOR
“BORAT SUBSEQUENT
Moviefilm” struggles with
the same issues that affect all
sequels — how to recapture
what made the original so
captivating. For the new “Borat,” the
problem is compounded because
Sacha Baron Cohen’s 2006
mockumentary about fictional
Kazakhstan journalist Borat
Sagdiyev’s visit to the United
States succeeded because he
was able to trick unsuspecting
citizens into saying and doing
stupid stuff. Lots of it.

But the sequel is hindered
because the element of surprise
is gone — which is alluded to
early on when Borat returns to
the U.S. and is recognized by
numerous people who repli-
cate his most-famous sayings
and gestures. In turn, Borat
often takes to disguising
himself, although a costume
store worker does show him a
“stupid foreign reporter” outfit
that features his trademark suit
and a mustachioed man on the
plastic bag.

In addition, the number
of truly impromptu moments
seems far fewer than the
original; it appears that more
moments were staged than
in the original (although the
number of staged scenes in the
original remains up for debate).

And the sequel, now avail-
able on Amazon Prime, lacks
a truly signature outrageous
moment, such as the nude
wrestling scene in the original
between Borat and his manager
Azamat (Ken Davitian). A
couple scenes do come close.

Still, “Borat Subsequent
Moviefilm” has numerous
funny, even hilarious, moments
and offers plenty of social
commentary wrapped up in a
goofy package. In other words,
if you loved the original, you’ll
probably like the new offering
26 OCTOBER 29, 2020
— and the twist at the end
about Borat’s real mission is
pretty good, too.

The new movie shows Borat
in a gulag, sentenced to life
imprisonment for embar-
rassing his native Kazakhstan
with his first documentary.

Borat gets a reprieve, however,
when Premier Nursultan
Nazarbayev releases him so he
can redeem the nation with a
gift to President Donald Trump
(who Borat calls McDonald
Trump) of Kazakh Minister of
Culture Johnny the Monkey
(I’m not making this up).

Because Borat defecated
in the Trump International
Hotel and Tower in the first
film, he decides to instead give
the monkey to Vice President
Mike Pence.

When Borat arrives via cargo
ship in Texas, he discovers the
monkey is dead in its shipping
crate, apparently eaten by his
15-year-old wild child daughter
Tutar (Bulgarian actress Maria
Bakalova), who smuggled
herself into the country. In
the movie’s early moments, we
learn about the daughter, so
her appearance isn’t a surprise.

Thinking fast, Borat decides
that Tutar will become the gift
to Pence, gets her a makeover
and even introduces her at a
debutante ball, which features
a major gross-out scene.

Some of the movie’s best
moments come when Borat
crashes the Conservative
Political Action Conference
where Pence spoke in February.

Borat first shows up in a Ku
Klux Klan outfit, announcing
that he is Trump’s Jewish
adviser Stephen Miller, then as
Trump himself.

After getting tossed from
CPAC, Borat decides the next best
thing would be to give Tutar to
Rudy Giuliani, setting up a signa-
ture (and somewhat controversial)
moment of the film. Various other
adventures occur beforehand,
including nods to COVID-19 and
social distancing.

Borat Sagdiyev shares a semi-tender moment with his daughter Tutar.
As with the original, the
sequel includes several moments
of Jewish-specific content viewed
through the lens of anti-Semitic
Borat. Some may contend the
humor is mean-spirited, but
Baron Cohen, who is Jewish,
is making a point about how
anti-Semitism — or simple
ignorance — often bubbles right
below the surface.

In one scene, for example,
Borat buys a chocolate cake
as instructed by his country’s
leader. The woman who sells him
the cake doesn’t bat an eye when
asked to pipe the Charlottesville,
Virginia, white supremacist
rallying cry of “Jews will not
replace us” onto the cake.

It’s also a bit of an in-joke
that when Borat is suppos-
edly speaking in Kazakh, he’s
actually speaking Hebrew with
some gibberish mixed in.

And his scene with a Holocaust
survivor who unconditionally
accepts the anti-Semite character
even borders on touching.

All in all, “Borat Subsequent
Moviefilm” is certainly worth a
view, especially in these overly
tense and hostile times when it
might feel good to lighten up
now and again.

While the sequel doesn’t
quite match the original, Baron
Cohen’s been on a roll of late,
stealing numerous scenes as
JEWISH EXPONENT
Photos courtesy of Amazon Studios
Borat models his Mickey Mouse pajamas.

Borat draws scorn from his neighbors at home.

Abbie Hoffman in “The Trial of
the Chicago 7,” which debuted
on Netflix earlier this month.

Hoffman provided much of the
comic relief during the trial,
so the role isn’t that much of a
stretch for Baron Cohen, but he
was also excellent in the 2019
drama miniseries “The Spy,”
playing Israeli spy Eli Cohen.

Baron Cohen is next slated
to appear as the title character
in “Mandrake the Magician.” l
agotlieb@jewishexponent.com; 215-832-0797
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM



L ifestyles /C ulture
Jews of Philly Fashion: Emunah Wircberg
of space here — all artwork for Fishtown is the new hip place
to be, though. I feel blessed to
sale, contact for inquiries.

live back in the city that I grew
up in and have all these neigh-
Best neighborhood in
borhoods so close by.

Philadelphia (that’s not
Old City)?
This is honestly the hardest What talent would you most
question. Rittenhouse is so like to have?
Playing an instrument
classic Philadelphia. Love the
rich history that comes with would be cool. l
Old City, along with the quaint
coffee shops, boutiques and jbernstein@jewishexponent.com;
galleries. Northern Liberties/ 215-832-0740
FASHION JESSE BERNSTEIN | JE STAFF
It’s the newest edition of Jews
of Philly Fashion, introducing
you to the Chosen few who
dress our city. They might mix
wool and linen, but they’ve got
some strong opinions on mixing
stripes with florals. In this space,
we’ll talk to designers, sellers,
buyers, influencers, models and
more. This week, we spoke to
Emunah Wircberg.

IT’S HARD TO FIND the
time to be Emunah Wircberg.

She can barely find it herself.

Between raising three
children and running the Old
City Jewish Arts Center — along-
side her husband, Rabbi Zalman
Wircberg — the 28-year-old
Kosloff Torah Academy Girls’
High School graduate and
Philadelphia native needs to
work hard to find the time for
creative expression.

Running the OCJAC allows
for opportunities of that type,
given the breadth of non-vi-
sual arts
programming that’s usually offered (poetry
readings, cooking classes,
writing classes and more). But
to see Wircberg really shine,
you don’t need to go to OCJAC
at all.

Her tzniut-minded fashion
Instagram account, The Modest
Mom, has more than 20,000
followers. Wircberg, who
worked in the fashion industry
back when she and her husband
lived in Brooklyn, is now a
bona fide fashion influencer.

Her project, as she explains it,
is to help those who wish to
dress modestly to understand
that proposition as something
generative and exciting, rather
than restrictively drab and dull.

“I kind of wanted to show
for myself how you could dress
fashionably and have style while,
at the same time, adhering to
the guidelines of modesty,
which are so important,”
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM C h .ia
News for people
who know we don’t
mean spiced tea.

Every Thursday in the
JEWISH EXPONENT
and all the time online
@jewishexponent.com. For home delivery,
call 215.832.0710.

Emunah Wircberg, The Modest Mom
Photo by Rabbi Zalman Wircberg
Wircberg said. What started
as a hobby has grown into a
vehicle for Wircberg to attract
paid sponsors and raise money
for organizations like the Center
City Community Mikvah and
the Philly Friendship Circle.

Wircberg spoke about her
son’s avant-garde art, bringing
back old trends and her favorite
neighborhoods in Philadelphia.

What’s something you can’t
believe you used to wear?
No regrets. Well, actually,
I can’t believe I used to wear
heels every day! Mom of three
now, who am I kidding?
What clothing trend would
you like to see make a
comeback? Growing up in the ’90s, there
are many trends coming back
that bring me such joy. Fanny
packs, scrunchies and slip
dresses, to name a few. I’m also
loving some of the ’80s trends
— shoulder pads, oversized
menswear. I am a minimalist
when it comes to style, but love
incorporating these trends into
my wardrobe while adding my
own modest twist.

What item of clothing should
more people be wearing?
Everyone should invest in
an awesome pair of kicks. Most
days I can be found in my white
high-top basketball sneakers.

They’re trendy and, in my line
of work, comfort is key.

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What’s your go-to quarantine
meal? Any salad, always a pick-
me-up. Or a halvah milkshake.

What’s the oddest piece of art
that you have in your house?
I wouldn’t say oddest, but my
son Levi, 9, is an artist, and boy,
do we have a house filled with
his unique pieces. Running out
JEWISH EXPONENT
OCTOBER 29, 2020
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