The Dictator Review

From Borat to Bruno, leaving the best till last – The Dictator 

The comedy is crude, sometimes gross, harsh, politically incorrect and what some would say – down right offensive.

Sacha Baron Cohen in the film ‘The Dictator’

But that’s what you get, when you go to see a Sacha Baron Cohen film. From Borat to Bruno, comes his latest and by far best film – The Dictator.

In The Dictator, Cohen brings a new character to the stage in Admiral General Aladeen, the unfair, unjust and obnoxious ruler of the oil-rich North African desert state Wadiya. With his character Cohen once again brings with it – a very foreign accent, alongside very rude and inappropriate behaviours – all of which are expected for those familiar with Cohen’s works.

Aladeen is a political figure that is dangerous to the world, he’s up there with guys such as Bin Ladden and Saddam Hussein. Aladeen controls the Wadiya state, has power over every single person in it and every single thing they do. He indulges in his lavish lifestyle and doesn’t shy away from reminding his people of his prosperity. We see this through things such as Aladeen’s home decor – surrounded with self-portraits and statues of the heartless leader, along with cars made of gold and a bed that could fit four families.

But Aladeen’s beliefs and attitudes are put to the test when he makes his way to America, stumbling upon unexpected situations, meeting people totally opposed to the leader’s beliefs and what his dictatorship represents.

Excluding the beginning and ending scenes of the film, the movie is based in New York City. The plot surrounds Aladeen and his quest to win international success by addressing the United Nations over the decision of whether Wadiya will become a democracy or stay as a dictatorship. His decision becomes much of a blur and uncertainty when he is betrayed by his own government assistants, replaced by a knucklehead double and thrown into a new world – this being the streets of the very free and cultured people within NYC. He’s matters are made worse when he meets a young feminist who owns an organic food shop (Anna Faris) – what Aladeen at first considers to be a young disgusting Justin Bieber wannabe, but later see’s her differently.

The jokes with their political incorrectness are acted out with stupidity and ignorance, allowing the audience to accept it in its humour, rather than take the severity of its offensiveness seriously. Women rights and women in general play out a big part of the humour, with a lot of jokes surrounding intense and outrageously politically wrong topics such as; women’s lack of rights and their lesser human value to the male species. Aladeen pushes the boundaries in this area, shown in one scene where he helps deliver a random lady’s baby, he says “Oh it’s a girl. I’m so sorry. Where’s the trashcan?”

A lot of critics may think that Cohen’s type of comedy is extremely over the top and beyond acceptable. But this film lets us laugh at things we can’t laugh at in our everyday lives because we may be labelled as racist or sexist. It lets us relax, lay back and just take the jokes for what they are, without taking them to a level that omits their essence in humour.

The audience I saw the film with where laughing from start to finish. There where are a few looks of disgust and shock, but all and all I doubt anyone regretted seeing it. Personally most scenes had me in stiches, almost to tears from laughter. I found the only downside to the movie was that the run time was short, disappointing to many of us, as it left everyone wanting more. 

My rating: 4/5

Admiral General Aladeen ‘The Dictator’