LOS ANGELES: 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.
The film, which marks the comedian’s directorial debut, revives the persona that originated in a British television segment before going on to star in “Da Ali G Show”.
In the series, Cohen played a white man obsessed with hip-hop and reggae who interviewed public figures, including Donald Trump and Buzz Aldrin, who were unaware they were part of the joke.
The new mockumentary follows the character, known for his flashy outfits and gold chains, as he seeks a second chance on television. His efforts are driven by a need for money after discovering that his girlfriend Julie, played by Morgana Robinson, is pregnant.
In an attempt to highlight society’s current polarisation, 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 New York congresswoman and Democratic socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
The filmmaker also portrays a character at the opposite end of the political spectrum, Colonel Morad.
Yet, for some, Ali G is a relic of the past whose cultural appropriation is no longer funny.
“The film has a few scattered giggles, but it’s dawdling and cumbersome, and far less ‘relevant’ than it thinks,” read a review by Hollywood trade publication Variety.
“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.”
Speaking to journalists, Baron Cohen acknowledged how times had changed, saying that was precisely why he wanted to bring the character back.
“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.”
“It felt like this was the perfect time to bring back a character that should have been left in the 2000s.”
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 expose certain prejudices within US society.
His work has been compared with that of filmmaker Nathan Fielder, whose documentary “You Can See Everything”, about disgraced biotech entrepreneur Elizabeth Holmes, debuted last week to critical acclaim and box-office success.
Baron Cohen praised Fielder, noting that the comedian “created something completely different”.
‘Shared lies’
Baron Cohen, 55, arrived at the Los Angeles premiere of his new film in character, dressed in neon yellow from head to toe.
He stepped out of a convertible alongside Julie and performed “Richer than Elon”, a song that satirises SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk, the world’s wealthiest man.
“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.
“You know, Coldplay still exists. It’s, like, well depressing.”
At a subsequent press conference, Baron Cohen, speaking 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”.
“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.
“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?”