The hirsute reporter from Kazakhstan with the goofy smile and the talent for trouble has outraged thousands with his warped sentiments but has made millions laugh out loud.

The question now is: Are local audiences prepared to stomach a man who preys on the gullibility of others as the film hits the big screen today?

The film Borat: Cultural Learnings Of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation Of Kazakhstan has captured the news headlines for all the wrong reasons but is already being dubbed by many critics as the funniest film of the year.

Even though the film hits out at American society, the Americans have clearly seen the funny side of the film. Borat has topped the US box office two weeks in a row, earning a total of $67.8 million, despite news that a lot of the people featured in the film are now suing him.

KRS Distributors manager Alex Pace is reluctant to bank money on the same success in Malta though he thinks it will perform well.

Mr Pace believes the film will appeal to a limited audience to the extent that KRS has imported just one copy of the film, which will play at the Eden Century.

"This is not a 'family' film and will appeal especially to a younger audience. It will not break box office records, but will be among the top comedies," he predicts.

KRS is of course banking more on the anticipated success of the new James Bond film Casino Royale, which premieres in Malta tomorrow night.

In his new unscripted film, British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen takes his interactions with real people and strings them into a plot, creating a so-called mockumentary about American culture. The story gets sidetracked by a cross-country quest for Borat (a sexist, homophobic and anti-semitic) to meet and "make sexy time" with Pamela Anderson, among others.

The Times' film critic David Pisani believes the film will go down well with anybody who likes this genre.

"I don't believe Borat is such a controversial film. Michael Moore is far more hard-hitting and political. Borat is using satire to poke fun at everybody, even himself. He is a Jew making fun of the Jews," he says.

At one point in the film, Borat asks a gun-seller what kind of a gun would he recommend to kill a Jew, and the vendor nonchalantly replies: "I'd recommend a 9-mm or a Glock automatic".

Borat is ultimately an intelligent film, Mr Pisani adds, because it exposes the political and racial issues enveloping the US. For example, by making racist statements in the friendliest way he got people to say things they would certainly avoid if they knew the film was going to be shown in their own country.

Popular DJ Gianni Zammit, who played Ali Bubaker, a journalist from Tajikistan, loosely based on Borat a few years ago, will be among the first to watch the film.

Though the Maltese were more inclined to enjoy the slapstick humour portrayed by characters like Adam Sandler and the Fantozzi series, Mr Zammit thinks Borat will be a major hit.

"Borat's humour is quite intelligent. I also believe he appeals to all ages, including my mother, who finds him hilarious," he says.

Mr Cohen, who also created the characters Ali G and Bruno, confirms that low-budget films featuring spoof characters can also hit the jackpot.

Mr Zammit pins down part of Bubaker's success to the fact that the "victims" were Maltese. The character was initially meant to be a filler for a programme but it ended up being the main feature.

"Bubaker wasn't easy, especially since I'm not a particularly good actor, I had to remain stiff when I'm always gesticulating, and there was no script so you basically had to feed off the guy opposite you... but it seemed to have worked," he laughs.

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