I got to meet Borat last night and it was amazing

Yesterday I got the opportunity to go to an early screening of Sacha Baron Cohen’s new movie, The Brothers Grimsby, along with Cohen himself.

I went with a friend and I intended on arriving early, hoping to get a glimpse of Cohen before everyone else arrived. But alas, he was not there when I first arrived at the Rivière hotel theater.

There was already a small line which had formed and as the hour went by, it grew and grew. Soon the line was going around the block and the excitement had become intense. It’s not often one gets the opportunity to see a movie see early before its release, even when the final production decisions haven’t been made yet.

We were finally let in to a big room with an open bar. My friends and I walked continuous laps around the room, hoping to find Cohen hiding somewhere. It isn’t unlike him to pull a prank like that. But again, he was nowhere to be found.

We headed back to the entrance of the room, hoping Cohen would arrive from there. And after waiting for thirty minutes, my idol finally made himself visible.

Arriving with an entourage of small men all dressed in colorful shirts, Sacha Baron Cohen walked into the room. He was tall and very intimidating, but out of all people he could’ve chosen to go to first, he chose me and my friend.

He shook our hands with a big smile and chatted with us about college. He showed a lot of genuine interest in what we had to say, and it added so much unexpected kindness to a man who is known mainly for being shocking and somewhat crazy.

Right behind me a group of middle-aged men pushed forward, acting like fifteen year old fan girls at a Taylor Swift concert. They all had DVDs and posters they wanted him to sign and immediately, the genuine smile went away as he had so say goodbye to us and entertain the masses. People were throwing themselves at the poor man like he was a boxing bag and didn’t seem to give him any kind of breathing room. But he carried on, and tried to greet as many fans as he could. I have to give him props for that kind of patience, but it’s part of the job celebrities have to deal with constantly.

After Cohen had wowed us with his presence. We were led into a gorgeous theater room with fancy couches instead of chairs. Cohen ran up on stage and gave us a quick Borat impression before starting the movie, and completely hilarity commenced.

I was laughing, cringing, smiling, and guffawing at the consistent insanity Cohen showed us in the movie. I don’t want to talk about any scene in particular, but there is one which will leave you so shocked you won’t get it out of your head for days. In Borat it was the naked fight, in Brüno it was the swingers party, and you’ll know the Grimsby scene when you see it. This movie is not for the easily offended.

After the movie was over, Cohen held a short Q&A with us and gave us some lovely details into his film making experiences over the years. He said his primary method for making the Borat character come to life was to imagine how a house would look after Borat had paid it a visit.

He spoke in great detail about how Borat goes to the bathroom but I’ll spare you those details.

His final advice to all aspiring film makers in the room was to always trust one’s instincts. The more you go with how you feel when crafting a store, the more genuine it will be, and the more the audience will connect with it.

I left the theater with a smile on my face which didn’t fade for the rest of the night. I won’t forget my encounter with Sacha Baron Cohen anytime soon. Jagshemash.