Darkly amusing, irreverent "Bad Words" is dirty but charming
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| Jason Bateman |
The facetiously delightful new dark comedy "Bad Words" is the sublime directorial feature debut for Jason Bateman ("Horrible Bosses"). Part revenge flick, part satire and loads of profane fun until it reaches its quaggy final act, "Bad Words" is a strong Rated R because it has plenty of them. Guy Trilby (Bateman), a 40-year-old high school dropout gets his revenge by finding a loophole and attempting to win a spelling bee as an adult. Along the way, he befriends a female reporter (Kathryn Hahn) and a young Indian contestant (the wonderful Rohan Chand from "Homeland") who he exposes to the wilder side of life. Irreverent, implausible but chock full of entertaining moments, "Bad Words" is its best when it lets loose and doesn't care what you think, which happens often in the first part of the movie. Bateman (who also co-produced) should be commended for his impressive direction, and even better, choice of a serviceable script by Andrew Dodge and a talented cast that is rounded out by Ben Falcone, Philip Baker Hall and always hilarious Allison Janney, underused here but making the most of an underwritten role. The dark bite of the first two acts seems lost in the softer final act with an ending that seems out-of-place and rewritten to appeal to a wider audience, not to mention anti-climactic given Guy's unique backstory. Still, there are some well-placed, laugh-out-loud moments in "Bad Words" with obvious design to shock that should please those who enjoy the low brow. With a decent script, a charming cast and some enjoyably dirty moments, "Bad Words" is both piquant and convivial, and one of the year's most inimitable new comedies. Worth a look, but leave your spell checker (and your kids) at home.
Wes's Grade: B
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