Release date: March 14, 2014 (limited)
Running time: 89 minutes
Starring: Jason Bateman, Kathryn Hahn, Rohan Chand, Allison
Janney, Philip Baker Hall
Who to see it with: Someone who can appreciate funny, un-politically correct antiheroes
Lee:
Jason Bateman makes his
directorial debut with Bad Words, the
story of a foul-mouthed 40-year-old named Guy Trilby (played by Bateman) who
uses a loophole to enter a children’s spelling bee. The farfetched premise is
occasionally used to poke fun at the personalities of the bee contestants and
their overzealous parents, but mostly serves as an excuse to place Guy in an
absurd situation. Bateman gets to play against his usual straight gut type like
he did in body-switching comedy The Change-Up.
Kathryn Hahn’s initially mild-mannered reporter aids Guy while covering his
story. At first, she seems like Guy’s “straight man”, but becomes funnier as
she reveals her odd quirks.
The dark comedy is lightened by
Guy’s relationship with fellow contestant Chaitanya Chopra (Rohan Chand), a
friendly ten-year-old who won’t leave Guy alone his signs of disinterest. Their
bond provides some of the film’s funniest moments when Guy’s bad behavior rubs
off on him. The kid seems like he may be included to humanize Guy—he’s an
irredeemable jerk until he gives him a chance—but their interactions don’t feel
forced. Guy’s attitude makes him a reliable source of mean, dirty jokes, but the
character may be better than the movie. His secret background and late-movie decisions
don’t make the greatest story nor make him as sympathetic as seemingly intended.
Bad Words could have done more with
its absurd premise, but is a funny showcase for an against-type Jason Bateman.
Rent it.
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