Almost living up to the hype, Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan really is one of the funniest movies to come along in years.

And to think I was dubious about star Sacha Baron Cohen when I saw obnoxious ads for Da Ali G Show plastered all over London during my 2000 visit. I never did check his show out when it came to the U.S. a few years later. But his hilarious turn as the French villian was the highlight of this summer's Talladega Nights movie, and only recently did I realize that the Borat movie's director is Larry Charles, one of the geniuses behind Curb Your Enthusiasm (including last season's best episode, "The Ski Lift") and Seinfeld (as a writer). So, I checked it out today and thought it was pretty good. Pretty, pretty, pretty good. Its cinema verite style and semi-improvisational qualities do seem to have a lot in common with the Curb.