Bad Words

Its story can be a bit formulaic- but its charm unmeasurable- Bad Word is a hilarious and surprisingly entertaining little comedy that truly belongs in the hands of Bateman. Let me just start off by saying I absolutely loved Jason Bateman in this movie. He is so incredibly cruel and mean-spirited, and yet somehow manages to make his character so enjoyable to watch on screen- and I don't think a single other actor could have done that. Not to mention he also directed the film, which honestly, without his touch, could have been a lot more bland- and I love the way he balanced the script's themes throughout. Andrew Dodge wrote the script for this film and though its structurally a little bland- the dialogue is often genius and I loved every wisecracking minute it showed on screen. The cinematography is also quite unique as well, and the cast is all pretty solid. It may be obvious, but the film also does have a heart in the center of its hard core- and honestly surprised me by how much it was able to make me care for the characters at hand given the subject matter. It's a peculiar concept and a brilliant execution- Bateman makes this film what it is- and i'm so glad I finally gave it the chance it deserved.

My Rating: 9.3/10.

I was blown away by the surprisingly low "6.7" current rating on IMDb. My theory: The easily offended were easily offended (perhaps the movie should have been called "Bad Words").

(Some of my favorite comedies: Dumb & Dumber, Super Troopers, and Tommy Boy).

Jason Bateman stared in, and directed, this "tightly" constructed DARK adult comedy. There was not a wasted second or single "slow" moment in the entire 89 minutes.

Everything was dead-on: The originality of the storyline, the casting, the acting, the timing, the tone, and THE KID!... I've never been a big fan of the "cute, heart-strings-pulling, kid" cliché, but you don't have to be to appreciate this kid - he takes NOTHING away from the dark humor, and only adds substantially to the film in every way. His authenticity and interaction with Bateman's character is as good as it gets (Roeper compared Bateman's spot-on apathy to Bill Murray's, and I couldn't agree more - you could just as easily picture Murray working his magic with the same degree of unflappability, esp. opposite such a contrastingly upbeat kid).

Bateman is an unassuming Rock Star that let's his talents do the talking, and I'm looking forward to the next film he directs and leads.

It's very rare that I find myself lost in the narrative, characters and the comedy that I forget altogether that I am watching a movie intent on criticizing it. Jason Bateman's (Horrible Bosses, Up In the Air) directorial debut Bad Words did just that–allow me to lose myself to laugh so hard with such shocking moments that I almost forgot I had to review the film.

Bad Words is a short, sweet and unexpectedly dark comedy with instances of pure vulgarity and vileness that is at the same time, heartwarming–yes, you read that right.

For one, Bad Words was the first ever straight-up comedy I have ever experienced at TIFF. Of course, so many movies have heavy comedic instances, but I can assure you, Bad Words will have you laughing so hard, that at times, you'll find it hard to hear the next bit of dialogue (I'm warning you from experience).

The film opens with unexplained genius Guy Trilby (Jason Bateman) entering himself in a regional spelling bee, with a brief flashback explaining how he has been able to register legally. From the moment the movie starts, Bateman has the audience in tears and on the floor laughing, winning the regional bee sending him off to the national bee, in hot pursuit of all the angry parents and students who he beat at the regionals. Once Bateman makes it to the super bowl of spelling bees, The Golden Quill, along with his travelling documenting reporter (Kathryn Hahn, We're The Millers), hilarity and vulgarity ensue.

The mystery behind Trilby's anger with the world, constant bitterness and his obsession with winning the bee is at the centre of the film, along with his inability to allow anyone get close enough for him to care, drive the narrative. The blend of Bateman's dark direction and stylistic choices, along with screenwriter Andrew Dodge's fiercely morbid dialogue allow for the experience to be natural and so unexpected.

I have no idea if either Bateman or Dodge were inspired at all with the work of Bobcat Goldthwait (World's Greatest Dad, God Bless America) and his darkly satirical body of work, but if I was told that was another addition to that list of black comedy, I would not doubt it. The envelope is constantly being pushed in Bad Words. Each character Trilby interacts with, whether it be for an extended period of time, or just shortly, Bateman nails each and every scene with a natural sense of arrogance. Trilby's scenes with "slumdog" (Rohan Chand), a lonely prostitute on the street, or a victimized man going to a washroom stall, are some of the best in the film.

Bateman undoubtedly has a keen eye for comedy. Rude, crude and sometimes completely uncalled for, Bad Words was a pleasant change of pace during TIFF and surely one of the most memorable comedies of the year.

Expect Bad Words in a theatre near you. And the only thing bad about it, is how much you will find yourself laughing at the most inappropriate things, da*#it!

Night Film Reviews: 7.5/10 Stars

This is indeed racist and it's also misogynistic. Does this mean that a movie with those qualities can't be funny? The movie knows it's racist and (wow this word is overused lately) misogynistic . It's also extremely funny. If you know you can't see past certain things like that then I suggest you don't watch this movie. It's mean and and very crude and hilarious.

I was actually ashamed that I laughed at some of the jokes as I consider myself to be a good person but they are so shamelessly delivered by Bateman I just couldn't help myself. Young Rohan Chand was very likable and held his own with Bateman who knows first hand about what it takes to be a child actor. Turn off your media forced judgment and just enjoy the movie. Even assholes can be funny.

The storyline allowed for a lot of funny moments and the movie definitely ran with it. It was hilarious and didn't stray from the plot to include any unneeded jokes (this is what draws me away from most comedies). The child, Chaitanya (Rohan Chand), was innocent and cute enough to provide a nice contrast to the unscrupulous Guy (Jason Bateman). With some heartwarming moments, this movie is more than just a rude comedy. The comedy is raunchy and vulgar though so it definitely takes a certain sense of humor to enjoy (sad to say that it is mine lol). Also, a little predictable, but that doesn't take away from the movie too much.