Admiral General Aladeen is one of the world’s last standing old school dictators. Enjoying near unlimited wealth thanks to the company’s vast producing oil fields, he rules his country with an iron fist whether it’s executing anyone who he doesn’t agree with, changing 300 words in his native language to his last name, or staging an Olympics where he wins every gold medal, he might be one of the world’s most dangerous men.
When the UN threatens sanctions against his country, the North African Republic of Wadiya, he has no choice but to come to New York City to address the UN Council. While here, General Aladeen is ritualistically stripped of his power by a rogue CIA official and cast out into the city of Manhattan, where he goes from ruthless dictator to being another face in the crowd.
Along the way, he meets a woman named Zoey who runs an organic health food store, and runs into a borough of New York that is essentially full of the people he supposedly executed several years ago. Could Zoey be the key to him getting back into the game, or will Wadiya be stripped and sold to the highest bidding oil company?
The Dictator is a 2012 political satire comedy film co-written by and starring Sacha Baron Cohen as his fourth feature film in a leading role. The film is directed by Larry Charles, who previously directed Baron Cohen’s mockumentaries Borat and Brüno. Baron Cohen, in the role of Admiral General Aladeen, the dictator of the fictional Republic of Wadiya visiting the United States, stars alongside Anna Faris, Ben Kingsley, Jason Mantzoukas, and an uncredited appearance by John C. Reilly.
Producers Jeff Schaffer and David Mandel said that Baron Cohen’s character was inspired by real-life leaders considered dictators like Kim Jong-il, Idi Amin, Muammar Gaddafi, Mobutu Sese Seko and Saparmurat Niyazov. The film’s opening credits dedicate it to Kim Jong-il, “in loving memory”.
The Dictator (2012)
Directed by: Larry Charles
Starring: Sacha Baron Cohen, Anna Faris, John C. Reilly, Liam Campora, Sayed Badreya, Aasif Mandvi, Elsayed Mohamed, Adeel Akhtar, Nazanin Homa, Ben Kingsley, Elena Goode
Screenplay by: Sacha Baron Cohen, Alec Berg
Production Design by: Victor Kempster
Cinematography by: Lawrence Sher
Film Editing by: Greg Hayden, Eric Kissack
Costume Design by: Jeffrey Kurland
Set Decoration by: Debra Schutt
Art Direction by: Greg Berry, Julian Laverdiere, Nicholas Lundy, Lisa Marinaccio, Carlos Menéndez, Marco Trentini
Music by: Erran Baron Cohen
MPAA Rating: R for strong crude and sexual content, brief male nudity, language and some violent images.
Distributed by: Paramount Pictures
Release Date: May 16, 2012
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