The Dictator (2012)

“Why are you guys so anti-dictators? Imagine if America was a dictatorship. You could let 1% of the people have all the nation’s wealth. You could help your rich friends get richer by cutting their taxes. And bailing them out when they gamble and lose. You could ignore the needs of the poor for health care and education. Your media would appear free, but would secretly be controlled by one person and his family. You could wiretap phones. You could torture foreign prisoners. You could have rigged elections. You could lie about why you go to war. You could fill your prisons with one particular racial group, and no one would complain. You could use the media to scare the people into supporting policies that are against their interests.” – General Aladeen

Number of Times Seen – Twice (16 Aug 2012 and 3 Feb 2021)

Brief Synopsis – A ruthless African dictator is invited to speak at the United Nations, but after he is double-crossed and left for dead by his advisor, he must find a way to reclaim his country from a “double”.

My Take on it – Hilarious film that works so well.

Sasha Baron Cohen once again shows how much of a genius comedian he is in creating extremist roles and making them both seem believable and absurd at the same time.

Like with other films and characters that he has created over the years, his character in this film is really funny and is able to find new and innovative ways to keep the audience laughing throughout.

Once again, knowing Hebrew is an advantage for me because Baron Cohen uses it in what seems like gibberish dialogue but is even more hilarious knowing what he is truly saying without the need of subtitles.

The main character is developed really well and it’s so much fun watching how much of an amalgam hi character is of known dictators from around the world.

There are scenes that seem to go a bit too far, but due to the way that Baron Cohen handles them, they still are laugh out loud funny to watch.

Recommended!

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – Sacha Baron Cohen attended The 84th Annual Academy Awards (2012) in character and full costume as Aladeen, accompanied by his “virgin guards”. While giving an interview on the red carpet to an unsuspecting Ryan Seacrest he brandished an urn he claimed to contain the remains of deceased North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Il. Cohen then spilled the ashes all over Seacrest’s tuxedo. As a result, Cohen was banned from entering the auditorium or participating in the events. (From IMDB)

Rating – Globe Worthy (8/10)