Having already co-starred in the funniest movie of the year (‘Talledega Nights’), Sacha Baron Cohen is back, this time taking centre stage in another side splitting caper. Whilst Ali G had his moments, it was Borat who regularly made us cry with laughter during his brief television appearances. The question is how could this naïve character work over ninety minutes? The answer is brilliantly, as Cohen and fellow writer, Coogan cohort, Peter Baynham mix the cringeworthy real interviews of the TV version, with a proper story which manages to be savage and hilarious one minute and strangely touching the next.

Touching? Yes, Borat’s innocence is shown when he falls in love with Pamela Anderson having come across an episode of Baywatch on TV and decides to travel to California to meet and marry his new love. There is a great scene where Borat is telling a group of Jocks about Pamela when one of them puts on the infamous Anderson/Lee DVD. Borat’s face is a picture as he sees his love in action. “is not her, is not her”…

Outside of these scenes, Borat has some scathing things to say about racism, homophobia, guns, sex, pretty much anything that speeds through the writers’ brains. There were moments especially during the ‘Running Of The Jews’ section, where we were unsure whether it was right to laugh even though it was insanely funny. This wasn’t the only moment like this and these uncomfortable scenes were mixed with classic simple slapstick and sight gags galore. (look for the bear head in the fridge)

If you’re not crying with laughter during Borat then perhaps you should give up seeing comedies all together. It’s on the edge, it’s dark, it’s close to the bone but more importantly it is fucking funny and totally unmissable.