Though the “Borat” sequel doesn’t hit Amazon Prime until tomorrow, former Mayor of New York City and current U.S. Presidential Advisor Rudy Giuliani has found himself at the center of the conversation surrounding the film.
“Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” sees Borat Sagdiyev (Sacha Baron Cohen) once again journeying to the United States from Kazakhstan in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 elections – this time taking his teenage daughter (played by 24-year old actress Maria Bakalova) with him.
The satirical feature appears to show Giuliani going into the bedroom of a hotel suite with the daughter character following a fawning interview between the pair. Variety describes the scene as follows:
“The pair retreat, at her suggestion, for a drink to a bedroom that is equipped with concealed cameras capturing the attorney’s every move. After she removes his microphone, Giuliani says, ‘You can give me your phone number and address.’ He is then seen lying back on the bed, fiddling with his shirt before reaching into his trousers. He is interrupted by Borat who runs into the room and says: ‘She’s 15. She’s too old for you.”
As reviews for the film have come out with many highlighting the scene, Giuliani tweeted Wednesday that the video isn’t real:
“The Borat video is a complete fabrication. I was tucking in my shirt after taking off the recording equipment. At no time before, during, or after the interview was I ever inappropriate. If Sacha Baron Cohen implies otherwise he is a stone-cold liar.
In fact, the NY Post today reports ‘it looks to me like an exaggeration through editing.’ As soon as I realized it was a set up I called the police, which has been noted in THR article on July 8th.
Reviews paint the scene as one decidedly uncomfortable to watch, but also contains editing and audio cues that raise suspicion. With 111 reviews counted, the film sits at 83% (7.11/10) on Rotten Tomatoes and is being praised for having both a sincere heart to it along with genuine surprises and plenty of shocking laughs.
The movie hits Amazon Prime tomorrow (Friday, October 23rd).
