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8/10
Makes you think about who's running the show.
20 May 2012
I watched this movie in my European History class as part of 'end-of-the-year movie palooza.' I'm personally not the biggest fan of black & white, old school movies, but this one was pretty captivating.

It was created during the Cold War and it was supposed to be "dark comedy." While the movie probably will not make you laugh out loud, it has its funny moments where you will at least grin. It is a dark comedy because it is a satire on the Cold War, which most people during the time probably did not find to be very entertaining.

The characters in this film are very memorable. I think that is partly because of the diverse personalities that exist; one is serious, one is paranoiac, one is crazy, and one is rather funny. I think Stanley Kubrick did a great job integrating them into the story. The characters individually are not particularly interesting, but the way that they combined to create a mockery of the war was truly a masterpiece.

The problem that I had with this film was the lack of fluidity in the plot. There were only about three places where action took place, and the entire movie was just switching back and forth between the two. While action was taking place, it did not feel that it was actually moving. Typically, the setting changes as the plot moves on, but this movie lacked that. I suppose that's not necessarily a flaw, it's just something that stood out to me.

I feel that this movie is pretty relevant even though it is 48 years old. The lack of professionalism from the world leaders in this movie is still something that can be seen in today's politics.

"Gentlemen. You can't fight in here. This is the War Room!"
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The Dictator (2012)
6/10
I'm at a loss as to how to describe this movie.
19 May 2012
I went to see this movie with my friend. I would consider that we both have a good sense of humor and are open to all sorts of jokes. I have seen other movies by Sacha Baron Cohen, like Bruno and Borat. I found Borat to be hilarious, but Bruno was a bit over the top for me. This movie strikes a balance between the two, but leans more towards (my personally favored) Borat side.

The comedy in this movie is both hilarious and uncomfortable at times. It has the same LOL- quality as it did in Borat, but there are scenes where the comedy is so crude that it is almost uncomfortable watching/listening to it. The movie is definitely funny, but you will not enjoy it if you do not find jokes about racism and stereotypes funny.

The plot is your typical Sacha Baron Cohen plot; a person from an entirely different culture travels to America and you watch how incompatible the two cultures are. Also, just like most of Sacha Baron Cohen movies, there is a love story intertwined. It's not the dramatic and sensitive kind of love story though. The plot itself is not very immersive, and I believe that its only purpose is to lead you to the funny parts.

I will say this though, the ending speech of this movie given by 'The Dictator' really impressed me. It made me realize how well Sacha Baron Cohen understands politics and stereotypes. You have to hear it for yourself.

If you're looking for a movie with consistent but crude laugh-out-loud comedy, but do not look for a serious and powerful plot, then you will enjoy this film. On the other hand, if you cringe at racist and stereotype jokes, you will be covering your ears virtually the entire movie.

Approach with an open mind.
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