( By Heather Wilkinson)King of satirical comedy Sacha Baron Cohen latest cinematic venture ‘The Dictator’ is hysterical, crude yet tantalizingly innocent. Coming in an era where Arab springs have swept many autocratic regimes ‘The Dictator’ gives us a peek into the life of General Hafez Aladin a fictitious dictator who rules a (fake) North African country called Wadiya.
General Aladin played by Sacha Baron is an amusing character specially when he is forced to live like an American in an ‘alien nation’ like the US. Baron Cohen maintains his distinct style which has taken a definite form with movie like ‘Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan’ and ‘Bruno’. The tone of “The Dictator” is crisp, funny and sometimes pretty outlandish but this is what Sacha Baron is known for.
The movie begins at the capital city of Wadiya where the General wins athletic contests, enjoys regular sexual encounters with models and actresses and nobody is there to stop him. A visit to the United States changes his life forever as his Uncle Tamir played by Ben Kingsley captures power with a military coup. General Aladin is forced to live life like a common man on the street and this is where the movie becomes funnier with politically incorrect and hilarious jokes.
The Dictator is more polished than Sacha Baron’s earlier movies. He and Ben Kingsley steal the show when it comes to the performances. The female lead played by Anna Faris has done remarkable job with her ‘boyish looking character’.
Cinegoers would love to watch ‘The Dictator’ movie because it is funny in ways more than one and it doesn’t disappoint Sacha Baron Fans who know what to expect from his movies. It is movie which deserves three stars.
