Ali G Indahouse [2002]

August 16, 2009

Before Borat and Bruno, there was Ali G. Ali G Indahouse Motherfuckers! All created by Sacha Baron Cohen, they were these larger-than-life characters poking fun at different subjects. Sarcasm, irony, and outrageous jokes were guaranteed. However, these characters also asked important questions about our society and how it functions. For example, in this movie, Sacha examined how the government works, marijuana laws, and corruption among many other things.

Unlike his next two movies, Ali G Indahouse is not a mockumentary but a proper movie. Raunchy and always on the edge, this is a hilarious comedy about an English rapper who became a member of the parliament. Hence the title. This is before Idiocracy and The Campaign. Vote Marty Huggins for president. With a running time of just over eighty minutes, this is a short and sweet affair that will definitely make you laugh. It had me on the floor fucking rolling within five fucking minutes. You start laughing at the big, obvious jokes and then the little ones really get you. I’m guessing the fact I was pretty high didn’t help with the situation. Or did it?

The running joke is a white guy trying his hardest to be black. Something that’s still quite trendy. Even the cult classic Office Space references it with the iconic printer destruction scene. And I still listen to Still by Geto Boys. Surprisingly, this brings us to the director of Ali G Indahouse, Mark Mylod. After this movie, he worked on some hit tv shows like Game of Thrones or Shameless. However, his crowning achievement is Succession, an incredibly engaging and even funny tv show. There, one of the main characters, Kendall also listens to gangster rap all the time. And if you’re looking for a real parody from the hood, check out Wayans brothers Don’t Be A Menace.

Meet Ali G, a smooth motherfucker who women find irresistible and men fear. He’s a tough and street smart guy coming out straight out of Staines, Surrey, England. He spends his days in John Nike Leisure Centre teaching a life support group for young schoolboys. However, when the local government moves in to demolish the center, Ali G decides to do something about it.

It’s funny to think that because of Ali G Indahouse, the real-world town of Stains decided to change its name to Stains-Upon-Thames. They were trying to avoid the bad reputation that came from the movie. Although I don’t really see it. Apart from Sasha Baron Cohen, we will also have to the opportunity to see Martin Freeman, Charles Dance, and Rhona Mitra. And the rest of the cast is also great.

Finally, we have to talk about how much Ali G Indahouse is offensive and misogynistic. I guess the real answer is a lot, but this is something you would expect from Cohen as it’s his trademark. The entire subculture is like that, so it’s hard to make a movie that isn’t. I feel like he’s making fun of the whole thing in the process and disarming it. Robbing it of its meaning and impact by exposing it to huge amounts of ridicule. Finally, if you’re looking for similar movies, I recommend you check out our Subversive Rabbit selection of Stoner Movies.