With “Ali G: Who Iz I?” Sacha Baron Cohen has returned to the guerrilla-style comedy that catapulted him to global fame — but this time, the character has faced criticism.<\/p>\n
The film, which marks the comedian’s debut as a director, revives the persona that originated in a British television segment and went on to star in “Da Ali G Show.”<\/p>\n
In the series, Cohen played a white man obsessed with hip-hop and reggae who would interview public figures including Donald Trump and Buzz Aldrin — and they weren’t in on the joke.<\/p>\n
The new mockumentary follows the character known for flashy outfits and gold chains as he seeks a second chance on television, efforts driven by his need for funds after discovering his girlfriend Julie, played by Morgana Robinson, is pregnant.<\/p>\n
In a bid to highlight society’s current polarization, Baron Cohen also plays the character’s nemesis, Dr. Nira Cain-N’Degeocello — a professor so left-wing that “he makes AOC look MAGA,” referring to the Democratic socialist congresswoman from New York, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.<\/p>\n
The filmmaker also plays a character at the opposite end of the political spectrum, Colonel Morad.<\/p>\n
Yet for some, Ali G is a relic of the past whose cultural appropriation is no longer funny.<\/p>\n
“The film has a few scattered giggles, but it’s dawdling and cumbersome, and far less ‘relevant’ than it thinks,” read a review from the Hollywood trade publication Variety.<\/p>\n
“The joke of Ali G is that he was a maximally clueless white-bro poseur,” the review continued. “He was most funny as a talk-show stooge.”<\/p>\n
Speaking with journalists, Baron Cohen acknowledged how times have changed, saying that’s exactly why he wanted to dust off the character.<\/p>\n
“I brought back Ali G because he is a problematic dinosaur,” he said. “I just love the idea of dropping him into today’s world.”<\/p>\n
“It felt like this was the perfect time to bring back a character that should have been left in the 2000s.”<\/p>\n
Two decades ago, Baron Cohen used his hit film “Borat: Cultural Learnings of American for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan” as a sociological mirror to lay bare certain prejudices within US society.<\/p>\n
His work has been compared to that of filmmaker Nathan Fielder, whose documentary “You Can See Everything” — about fallen biotech prodigy Elizabeth Holmes — debuted last week to both critical acclaim and box office success.<\/p>\n
Baron Cohen praised Fielder, noting that the comedian “created something completely different.”<\/p>\n
– ‘Shared lies’ –<\/p>\n
Baron Cohen, 55, arrived at the Los Angeles premiere of his new film in character, wearing neon yellow from head to toe.<\/p>\n
He stepped out of a convertible alongside Julie and performed “Richer than Elon” — a song that satirizes the SpaceX executive, who is the wealthiest man in the world.<\/p>\n
“The world’s gone to crap. You know, there’s wars, there’s COVID, people are listening to Ed Sheeran more,” Baron Cohen told AFP in character.<\/p>\n
“You know, Coldplay still exists. It’s, like, well depressing.”<\/p>\n
At a later press conference, Baron Cohen — as himself — defended satire as the quintessential format for “shining a light on, maybe, subjects that we haven’t really discussed as a society before.”<\/p>\n
“We’re at this really dangerous point in society where a handful of billionaires control what information is being spread, and societies and democracies in particular rely on shared facts,” Baron Cohen said.<\/p>\n
“We’re moving to these autocracies that rely on shared lies, and now we have AI. Who’s choosing what is the information that goes in there?”<\/p>\n
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