Ali G is undoubtedly an important character in terms of entertainment. He's a fictional gangster rapper, created and played by Sacha Baron Cohen and was used in short sketches in order to trick unwitting celebrities into giving interviews. And everything about the set-up worked, perfectly. However, when something is designed for 'small bursts' there's sometimes some problems when it's transferred to a full-length movie in terms of story. Here is an example of a film that just about pulls it off. Just.
I quite enjoyed 'Ali G Indahouse,' but then I'm a big fan of the series (and I wasn't expecting too much!). However, I can't see the film attracting too many new converts, or really appealing to a wider audience. Gone are the clever interviews the character was known for, plus any real attempts at poking fun at popular culture or social commentary. Now, all that is replaced by a pretty generic story about Ali G trying to save his local youth centre by running for Parliament and getting used by political heavyweights in order to try and appeal to the youth of today.
There's nothing particularly inspiring about the story and it's all wrapped up in plenty of pretty unsubtle 'toilet' humour (or at least that of the s3xual kind!). What was once a cutting attempt at poking fun of those too stupid or embarrassed to say what's literally staring them in the face has become one 'body-part' joke after the next.
The supporting cast are there for Ali G to play off, including an underused Martin Freeman (before he was mega famous!) and acting greats Charles Dance and Michael Gambon (playing those dastardly 'suits' in power), but it's Sacha Baron Cohen's show all the way. He really does put his all into the role and certainly isn't afraid to send himself up, looking the fool at every given opportunity.
And it's this kind of commitment that saves the film. Even as a fan of the original (sketch-based) creation of Ali G, I wasn't too sure about the full length film. Luckily, it's not too long and, although completely predictable, is certainly watchable enough if you're not offended by the language and subject material. It's definitely not 'high brow,' but I feel there should be a place for films which aren't supposed to tax you mentally after a day's work. Here, you can just put your brain on hold and smirk at the silliness on screen.
I enjoyed it at the time and I still do today. However, I do feel that Cohen's future (big screen) releases were much 'sharper' in terms of taking a character developed for TV sketches and turning it into a feature-length movie. If you like Cohen's work, you should definitely check out his later offerings 'Borat' and 'Bruno.' Maybe 'Ali G Indahouse' was effectively Cohen honing his art? But, if you're still unsure as whether to watch or not, maybe just look up an old Ali G sketch on YouTube and, if you like it, you may just like the big screen version, too.
