Film Review -- Bad Words

Jason Bateman directs and stars in this black comedy also featuring Kathryn Hahn, Allison Janney, and Rohan Chand. Guy Trilby (Bateman) is forty years old, foul-mouthed, and....a spelling bee contestant? That's what happens when he finds a loophole in the rules of the Golden Quill Spelling Bee, and all of a sudden hard-working eleven-year -olds find themselves competing with a ruthless Trilby. But why is he so bent on carrying out this stunt and crushing the dreams of many children? That's what reporter Jenny Widgeon (Hahn) wants to find out. But these plans take an unexpected turn when quick-witted contestant Chaitanyia (Chand) befriends a reluctant Guy. First, the premise of the film is outrageously silly, and most of the film's laughs come from equally ridiculous situations. However, the film is charming enough to justify the cheap laughs. While the plot is underwhelming, you but have to admire its simplicity. This keeps the focus predominantly on the comedy. The actors also do a fine job, with so much relying on the comedic timing of their dialogue. Especially enjoyable is talented young actor Rohan Chand, who is completely adorable as Guy's unlikely pint-sized sidekick. In all, Bad Words is a mostly enjoyable comedy with a few good laughs. It's worth a look.

Should you see it: Yes
Grade: B-

Oldie but Goodie -- Monty Python and the Holy Grail

This 1975 cult classic is directed by Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam and stars Jones, Gilliam, John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, and Michael Palin. King Arthur (Chapman), along with his not-so-noble knights, set out on a God-given quest to find the Holy Grail. Along the way, they face many silly obstacles, such as the swallow-savvy castle keepers, the limbless knight, a prince who just wants to sing, the knights who say Ni!, and a riddle-loving bridge keeper. It's obvious that this film doesn't try or pretend to be anything else other than an outrageously silly, historically inaccurate adventure from one of Britain's most famous comedy groups. In fact, the entire film plays out as one long sketch show, with each obstacle being its own separate sketch. I enjoyed many of them -- the opening credits are laugh-out-loud, can't-breathe hilarious. The swallow-savvy castle keepers are also very funny, as are the Knights who say Ni! and the riddle-loving bridge keeper, among others. There are a few sketches, however, that were just too silly for me. But I can very much appreciate the amount of imagination and creativity that it takes to make a film like this -- I know I could never do it. Even though the film is extremely low-budget (a fact even worked into the film's plot, in the form of an absolutely hysterical coconut sequence), the actors are all so brilliant that they are more than able to achieve their goal of making an uproarious comical romp.

Should you see it: Yes
Grade: A

Film Review -- The Fifth Estate

Directed by Bill Condon, this 2013 film stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Daniel Bruhl, Laura Linney, and Stanley Tucci. It tells the story of the early stages of one of the biggest whistle-blowing organizations ever, Wikileaks, and its founder, Julian Assange (Cumberbatch), through the point-of-view of his business partner, Daniel Berg (Bruhl). The film itself is not great; its much too long, the script is weak, and the directing is too slow to make it a legitimate thriller. Because it is based on the book of a disgruntled ex-Wikileaks employee, the film is also frustratingly one-sided. I'm sure it would be a monumental task to make an objective film about one of the most controversial organizations and people in the world, but this film makes Assange out as way too one-dimensional and detestable. The performances are pretty good, but they're not enough to save a film that does not accurately depict Wikileak's beginnings, or its merits.

Should you see it: With fair warning
Grade: C+

Oldie but Goodie -- Bullets over Broadway

Woody Allen's 1994 film stars John Cusack, Dianne Wiest, and Jennifer Tilly. Proud and stubborn playwright David Shayne (Cusack) wants to produce and direct his new play on Broadway, but the only person willing to finance it is mobster Nick Valenti (Joe Viterelli). The catch, though, is that Shayne must cast Valenti's ditzy and talentless girlfriend Olive (Tilly) in a crucial role. Additionally, Shayne must deal with the demands of veteran theatre actress Helen Sinclair (Wiest) and Olive's bodyguard, Cheech (Chazz Palminteri), who might even be a better playwright that Shayne. How Woody Allen manages to churn out a film a year I will never understand because, somehow, they all manage to be pretty good. This was one of my favorites. Very creative and wildly funny, the screenplay (by Allen and Douglas McGrath) and acting (especially from Tilly and Wiest -- who won an Oscar) are excellent. Short and sweet, this film is a must-see.

Should you see it: Yes
Grade: A