Through The Rear Window: MOVIE REVIEW ... BAD TEACHER

Sunday, July 24, 2011

MOVIE REVIEW ... BAD TEACHER

Director Jake Kasdan must have had some very eccentric teachers if his latest movie is anything to go by. In fairness many of the teachers from my school years had their odd mannerisms too, which is why I still remember them. Making a comedy out of such a premise isn’t too difficult and one he mostly succeeds in doing with some frenetic humour revealing a stranger side to the teaching profession.

Elizabeth (Cameron Diaz) is not your average teacher. Prone to swearing at her students, blackmailing fellow staff and partaking in illicit substances, her methods are not ones found in any curriculum. When substitute teacher Scott (Justin Timberlake) arrives, she aims to have her way with him. With gym instructor Russell (Jason Segel) admiring from afar, her antics soon turn the school into a centre for anarchy than academia.

Cameron Diaz earns her pay packet with Bad Teacher. Making the most of a role requiring her to be as sleazy as possible, she does what she can. Seeing how the script doesn’t offer much to play with, her performance is the highlight of a somewhat mediocre movie. Although the crazy characters are in place with some decent acting, the screenplay doesn’t have enough to sustain their antics. If more sub-plots or silly situations were created, it could have made for a more fun film.

Issues of self-esteem and ensuring untapped potential is reached are reasonably realised within the sparse screenplay. It is ironic these threads are raised given Bad Teacher has its own potential wasted. Whilst everyone obviously had a good time making it, Kasdan perhaps focuses too much on crude humour and not enough on creating genuine wit. Having directed the great comedy Orange County, one knows he can do better although what’s on display raises few laughs.

Bad Teacher isn’t ‘bad’ but not ‘good’ either. Had it been more adventurous in pushing the comedic envelope it could have been more memorable unlike the average attempt this quirky ode to education brings.