new Ali G film is quite political
reuter review | 22.03.2002 14:10
Brit Comic Ali G Makes Impressive Feature Bow
Fri Mar 22, 5:01 AM ET
By Derek Elley
LONDON (Variety) - Blighty's very own white homeboy/gangsta makes it from the small to big screen in "Ali G Indahouse," an extremely silly, grossly scatological but often amusing picture that plays like "Dumb & Dumber" meets Spike Lee in London.
A media event in the U.K., where alternative comedian Sacha Baron Cohen's TV character has a wide cult following, the low-budget item looks to mop up fast cash in its first few weeks, though may, like Ali G with girlfriend Me Julie, lack staying power. Offshore, where many jokes and cultural references will prove difficult, if not impossible, to translate, its passage will rely on clever marketing. Stateside, pic is likely to be delayed until a series Baron Cohen is currently making for HBO has imprinted the character on American minds.
Baron Cohen's comic creation was born three years ago on satirical TV series "The 11 O'clock Show" and rapidly spawned his own shows and videos. Conceptually a close relative of Barry Humphries' Dame Edna Everage, Ali G was another in the growing line of fake British TV celebs but took the concept several stages further with gross-out humor, racial parody and posing his terminally stupid questions to real-life personalities who often weren't in on the joke. Kitted out in garish attire and pencil-line goatee, Ali G was a racially vague, stereotypical pot-smoking rapper whose friends and self-contained world were only ever heard about: his "nan," Me Julie, his homie gang Westside Massive and his turf of Staines, west of London. His distinctive patois was a mixture of half-Asian/half-black slang, delivered in a Thames Valley-cum-rapper working-class accent.
Pic's main leap of faith is making Ali G's universe concrete. Not only do we see the streets of Staines (actually a somewhat comfy suburb) but also we learn his full name (Alistair Leslie Graham), that he and his "nan" are totally white, Me Julie is a sensible white nurse, and Westside Massive is composed of only three other complete nerds.
Film wastes little time getting to the "plot," with Ali G protesting closure of local John Nike Leisure Centre and ending up elected Staines' member of parliament. He's helped by ambitious deputy prime minister David Carlton (Charles Dance), who hopes to embarrass his own party when Ali G makes a complete fool of himself discrediting the country's leader (Michael Gambon) and getting himself made PM. Unfortunately for Carlton, Ali G's outrageous policy suggestions prove popular with the young demographic.Film's gross humor, which isn't so far from the "Carry On" films in spirit, is delivered in a series of set pieces which push the envelope of acceptability to its limits. None of the sacred cows of modern British life is exempt, but many jokes and references will mean nothing beyond U.K. audiences. However, by making the government full of old school Tory types, the picture misses opportunity to spoof Tony Blair (news - web sites)'s New Labour trendiness.
Still, Baron Cohen's physical shtick is immensely impressive. Rest of cast plays it straight, though Martin Freeman makes individual impression as his sidekick Ricky C, and Dance throws his actorly caution to the wind in film's memorable coda.
Technical credits are OK but with no frills, and TV comedy director Mark Mylod brings absolutely no personal signature to his first feature chore. Even during 80-odd minutes there are patches where fizz goes seriously flat.
Ali G ............. Sacha Baron Cohen
Prime Minister .... Michael Gambon
David Carlton ..... Charles Dance
Me Julie .......... Kellie Bright
Ricky C ........... Martin Freeman
Kate Hedges ....... Rhona Mitra
Nan ............... Barbara New
Hassan B .......... Ray Panthaki
Dave .............. Tony Way
Jezzy F ........... Nabil Elouahabi
A UIP (in U.K.)/Universal (in U.S.) release of a Working Title Films, Universal Pictures, StudioCanal presentation of a WT2 production, in association with Talkback Prods. Produced by Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Dan Mazer. Executive producers, Natascha Wharton, Sacha Baron Cohen, Peter Fincham.
Directed by Mark Mylod. Screenplay, Sacha Baron Cohen, Dan Mazer. Camera (Technicolor prints), Ashley Rowe; editor, Paul Knight; music director, Nick Angel; production designer, Grenville Horner; art directors, David Walley, Sarah Kane, Sandy Garfield; costume designer, Annie Hardinge; Ali G costume designer & stylist, Jason Alper; makeup & hair designer, Ann Buchanan; sound (Dolby Digital), Derek Norman; additional camera, Seamus McGarvey; assistant director, Max Keene; casting, Lucinda Syson. Reviewed at Warner Village West End, London, March 18, 2002.
Fri Mar 22, 5:01 AM ET
By Derek Elley
LONDON (Variety) - Blighty's very own white homeboy/gangsta makes it from the small to big screen in "Ali G Indahouse," an extremely silly, grossly scatological but often amusing picture that plays like "Dumb & Dumber" meets Spike Lee in London.
A media event in the U.K., where alternative comedian Sacha Baron Cohen's TV character has a wide cult following, the low-budget item looks to mop up fast cash in its first few weeks, though may, like Ali G with girlfriend Me Julie, lack staying power. Offshore, where many jokes and cultural references will prove difficult, if not impossible, to translate, its passage will rely on clever marketing. Stateside, pic is likely to be delayed until a series Baron Cohen is currently making for HBO has imprinted the character on American minds.
Baron Cohen's comic creation was born three years ago on satirical TV series "The 11 O'clock Show" and rapidly spawned his own shows and videos. Conceptually a close relative of Barry Humphries' Dame Edna Everage, Ali G was another in the growing line of fake British TV celebs but took the concept several stages further with gross-out humor, racial parody and posing his terminally stupid questions to real-life personalities who often weren't in on the joke. Kitted out in garish attire and pencil-line goatee, Ali G was a racially vague, stereotypical pot-smoking rapper whose friends and self-contained world were only ever heard about: his "nan," Me Julie, his homie gang Westside Massive and his turf of Staines, west of London. His distinctive patois was a mixture of half-Asian/half-black slang, delivered in a Thames Valley-cum-rapper working-class accent.
Pic's main leap of faith is making Ali G's universe concrete. Not only do we see the streets of Staines (actually a somewhat comfy suburb) but also we learn his full name (Alistair Leslie Graham), that he and his "nan" are totally white, Me Julie is a sensible white nurse, and Westside Massive is composed of only three other complete nerds.
Film wastes little time getting to the "plot," with Ali G protesting closure of local John Nike Leisure Centre and ending up elected Staines' member of parliament. He's helped by ambitious deputy prime minister David Carlton (Charles Dance), who hopes to embarrass his own party when Ali G makes a complete fool of himself discrediting the country's leader (Michael Gambon) and getting himself made PM. Unfortunately for Carlton, Ali G's outrageous policy suggestions prove popular with the young demographic.Film's gross humor, which isn't so far from the "Carry On" films in spirit, is delivered in a series of set pieces which push the envelope of acceptability to its limits. None of the sacred cows of modern British life is exempt, but many jokes and references will mean nothing beyond U.K. audiences. However, by making the government full of old school Tory types, the picture misses opportunity to spoof Tony Blair (news - web sites)'s New Labour trendiness.
Still, Baron Cohen's physical shtick is immensely impressive. Rest of cast plays it straight, though Martin Freeman makes individual impression as his sidekick Ricky C, and Dance throws his actorly caution to the wind in film's memorable coda.
Technical credits are OK but with no frills, and TV comedy director Mark Mylod brings absolutely no personal signature to his first feature chore. Even during 80-odd minutes there are patches where fizz goes seriously flat.
Ali G ............. Sacha Baron Cohen
Prime Minister .... Michael Gambon
David Carlton ..... Charles Dance
Me Julie .......... Kellie Bright
Ricky C ........... Martin Freeman
Kate Hedges ....... Rhona Mitra
Nan ............... Barbara New
Hassan B .......... Ray Panthaki
Dave .............. Tony Way
Jezzy F ........... Nabil Elouahabi
A UIP (in U.K.)/Universal (in U.S.) release of a Working Title Films, Universal Pictures, StudioCanal presentation of a WT2 production, in association with Talkback Prods. Produced by Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Dan Mazer. Executive producers, Natascha Wharton, Sacha Baron Cohen, Peter Fincham.
Directed by Mark Mylod. Screenplay, Sacha Baron Cohen, Dan Mazer. Camera (Technicolor prints), Ashley Rowe; editor, Paul Knight; music director, Nick Angel; production designer, Grenville Horner; art directors, David Walley, Sarah Kane, Sandy Garfield; costume designer, Annie Hardinge; Ali G costume designer & stylist, Jason Alper; makeup & hair designer, Ann Buchanan; sound (Dolby Digital), Derek Norman; additional camera, Seamus McGarvey; assistant director, Max Keene; casting, Lucinda Syson. Reviewed at Warner Village West End, London, March 18, 2002.
reuter review
Comments
Hide the following 6 comments
What is this bollocks?
22.03.2002 16:17
Angry Person
Fuck him
22.03.2002 18:17
This shit does'nt belong here.
Wr[a]th
protest against it
22.03.2002 18:18
Paul Kelso
Thursday March 21, 2002
The Guardian
Ali G's creator Sacha Baron Cohen is "the new Al Jolson", perpetuating racist stereotypes, the editor of a leading black magazine said yesterday as the feature film Ali G in Da House received its West End premiere.
Peter Akinti, who staged a demonstration last night in Leicester Square, said: "He is the new Al Jolson - he's effectively blacked up to take the piss out of a stereotype of young black men that is deeply offensive.
"He is a white Jewish Cambridge graduate, and he uses the word 'nigger' and asks 'Is it 'cos I is black?' There's no way you would be able to get away with making similar jokes about the Jewish community - you would be called a racist before the words had left your lips," said Mr Akinti, editor of lifestyle magazine Untold
"By playing up the stereotype of the young black kid who just wants to rap and wear tracksuits he's giving people another way of laughing at and belittling black people."
Akinti said that supermodel Naomi Campbell and singer Shaggy were "stupid" for agreeing to take part in the film: "I'm sure if they had thought about it they would have realised they should not give this man legitimacy."
His comments reflect an ambiguity about who exactly the Ali G character is intended to satirise; some see him as ridiculing the white appropriation of a stereotype of black street culture, while others see the hugely successful act as a critique of sexism, criminality and ignorance.
It is a confusion Baron Cohen has no intention of clearing up as long as the publicity continues to flow, but there is another charge that may worry him more - that Ali G is no longer funny.
Early reviews of the film, in which Ali G rises from the streets of Staines to the corridors of power at Westminster, have been mixed, adding to the feeling that the satirical sharpness which first distinguished the character has been replaced by a tendency towards the puerile.
Christopher Tookey, film critic of the Daily Mail, has savaged the film, describing it as "the laziest and most obnoxious British film."
His review went on: "Instead of a storyline the film resembles a collection of half-baked sketches assembled by someone with attention deficit syndrome. The impression is of a man cynically determined to cater for the scum of the earth, and make his humour as ugly, loutish and revolting as possible."
The Guardian's film critic, Peter Bradshaw, was more generous. "Some of the lines get groans; some are gross and funny, some gross and unfunny; some fall flat. But I did find myself laughing out loud ... and somehow it's the most self-consciously regressive playground humour that works the best," he writes in Friday's Guardian.
A spokeswoman for Freud Communications, which represents Baron Cohen, said it had no comment to make on the allegations of racism and negative reviews.
A spokeswoman confirmed that cast members including Charles Dance, Michael Gambon and Naomi Campbell would be attending the premiere.
Yesterday Jimmy Savile accused Baron Cohen of basing Ali G on him: "He's made a fortune out of me," he said. "If I wasn't here he would be skint. Ali G wears tracksuits and bulky jewellery like I started doing on the telly in 1961. He must go to the charity shops I give my old tracksuits to."
,
SOME OF THESE ARTICLES BEYOND BELIEF
23.03.2002 16:48
there are a few good films set in Britain (like Antonionis Blowup, Polanskis Repulsion ) but Im so sorry to say BRITISH LIFE IS TOO ANAEMIC TO SUSTAIN A GOOD FILM
a triffid
?
23.03.2002 16:48
?
Al Jolson? Nah!
24.03.2002 00:08
Is it 'cos I is scouse?
Ronnie.