The Dictator
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The heroic story of a dictator who risks his life to ensure that democracy would never come to the country he so lovingly oppressed.
What critics thought
A mixed reception greeted Baron Cohen's shift from mockumentary ambush comedy to conventional narrative fiction — some critics felt the move liberated him, others that it exposed him. The film's political satire, particularly its closing monologue, earned the most consistent praise, while individual gags (the Munich Olympics Wii bit, rape jokes) drew specific complaints for misfiring badly.
“He establishes a claim to be the best comic filmmaker now working. And in a speech about dictatorships, he practices merciless political satire.”
Roger Ebert·Chicago Sun-Times
“bound to be one of the year's biggest comedy letdowns, The Dictator doesn't so much stir hot-button issues as showcase a great satirist off his game.”
Slant Magazine
“Cohen has thankfully dispensed with ambushing real-life people for squirm-inducing interviews. But an early stunt involving a Wii game based on the 1972 Munich Olympics falls flatter than a stale matzo, a running gag about Hollywood stars selling sexual favors quickly loses steam and it can be stipulated that rape jokes simply aren't funny.”
Washington Post
“Sacha Baron Cohen atones for the sins of 'Bruno' with this gleefully bad-taste fish-out-of-water comedy, which kicks sand in the eye of political correctness”
Irish Examiner
Genres
Comedy
Cast & Crew
Larry CharlesDirector
Sacha Baron CohenAladeen / Efawadh
Ben KingsleyTamir
Anna FarisZoey
Jason MantzoukasNadal
Sayed BadreyaOmar
Adeel AkhtarMaroush
Aasif MandviDoctor
Rizwan ManjiPatient
Liam CamporaAladeen Age 6
Rick ChambersNewscaster Voiceover (voice)
Erran Baron CohenComposerSacha Baron CohenWriter
Alec BergWriter
Jeff SchafferWriter
David MandelWriter
Lawrence SherCinematographyThe Dictator
The heroic story of a dictator who risks his life to ensure that democracy would never come to the country he so lovingly oppressed.
What critics thought
A mixed reception greeted Baron Cohen's shift from mockumentary ambush comedy to conventional narrative fiction — some critics felt the move liberated him, others that it exposed him. The film's political satire, particularly its closing monologue, earned the most consistent praise, while individual gags (the Munich Olympics Wii bit, rape jokes) drew specific complaints for misfiring badly.
“He establishes a claim to be the best comic filmmaker now working. And in a speech about dictatorships, he practices merciless political satire.”
Roger Ebert·Chicago Sun-Times
“bound to be one of the year's biggest comedy letdowns, The Dictator doesn't so much stir hot-button issues as showcase a great satirist off his game.”
Slant Magazine
“Cohen has thankfully dispensed with ambushing real-life people for squirm-inducing interviews. But an early stunt involving a Wii game based on the 1972 Munich Olympics falls flatter than a stale matzo, a running gag about Hollywood stars selling sexual favors quickly loses steam and it can be stipulated that rape jokes simply aren't funny.”
Washington Post
“Sacha Baron Cohen atones for the sins of 'Bruno' with this gleefully bad-taste fish-out-of-water comedy, which kicks sand in the eye of political correctness”
Irish Examiner
Genres
Comedy
Cast & Crew
Larry CharlesDirectorSacha Baron CohenAladeen / EfawadhBen KingsleyTamirAnna FarisZoeyJason MantzoukasNadalSayed BadreyaOmarAdeel AkhtarMaroushAasif MandviDoctorRizwan ManjiPatientLiam CamporaAladeen Age 6Rick ChambersNewscaster Voiceover (voice)Erran Baron CohenComposerSacha Baron CohenWriterAlec BergWriterJeff SchafferWriterDavid MandelWriterLawrence SherCinematographyStream
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