SACHA BARON COHEN is back again, this time with THE DICTATOR, in which he plays the dumb, egocentric and murderous General Aladeen, head of a North African State who beds indiscriminately, his bedroom wall attests to all his one-night stands, who orders executions indiscriminately, but who is forced into attending the United Nations in New York because it is rumoured he has weapons of mass destruction.

Surviving an assassination plot by his 2IC, BEN KINGSLEY, he finds himself homeless and gormless on the streets of New York where he meets Zoe, ANNA FARIS, who runs an organic, small-l liberal establishment.

When a double is put in his place he teams up with a surviving executee who wants to reinstate the dictatorship. He's the former head of Aladeen's Rocket Science program, Fred Melamed. I thought THE DICTATOR was crude, rude, racist, anti-feminist, all the no-nos that you can think of, and I think SASHA BARON COHEN is really brave and clever in confronting all these no-no's in a very humourous, cringe-worthy way. I found myself laughing out loud at some of his antics. They decry exactly what they're espousing, the only time I thought he went over the top was when he advocated a dictatorship to America, it was obvious but it was gorgeous.

Working with director Larry Charles, with whom he made Bruno and Borat, and who was one of the staff writers on the original Seinfeld's, he's concocted what I think is his most sophisticated film to date. He's cast well with Anna Faris as his hairy love interest, and Fred Melamed is a perfect foil for him in some of the most delicious exchanges.

ABC - At The Movies
Copyright ABC - At The Movies