Catching up on 2011 - Henry Saw: Bad Teacher and Horrible Bosses

As with most comedies I don't have that much to say about either film...


Bad Teacher:

"A comedy centered around a foul-mouthed, junior high teacher who, after being dumped by her sugar daddy, begins to woo a colleague -- a move that pits her against a well-loved teacher." (Via IMDB)

Bad Teacher had some moments that made me smile, very few that actually made me laugh out loud, and more than a couple that made me squirm in my seat. Cameron Diaz proves once again that she only really works when working in an out and out comedy while Justin Timberlake shows that he and his agent might need to be a bit more selective if he wants to break through as a movie star. The standout in the cast ended up being Lucy Punch who plays the goody-two-shoes teacher driven to near madness by Cameron Diaz.

When this ends up on HBO, and there's nothing better on, you may want to give it a shot. It's certainly not the worst comedy I've seen this year...but that's about as strong a recommendation as I'm willing to give.

Grade: C+

Best Scene: Cameron Diaz's conversation with a heartbroken student near the end of the film...one of the scenes that really did make me laugh out loud.


Horrible Bosses:

"Three friends (Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, and Jason Sudeikis) conspire to murder their awful bosses (Colin Farrell, Jennifer Aniston, and Kevin Spacey) when they realize they are standing in the way of their happiness." (Via IMDB)

Horrible Bosses is fairly solid comedy but not an incredibly likable one. It has a really strong premise, which it basically mines successfully, and actually manages some clever plot twists that keep the story interesting throughout. The sad thing, at least for this audience member, is that I just find a great deal of the cast to be less than appealing performers. There are seven (!) moderate to big stars in the movie and I really only like two of them (Charlie Day and Colin Ferrell). Which is not to say that the other five are bad in the film. Everyone seems to be having a good time, which is an integral component of any good comedy, but I just did not find any other members of the cast to be particularly funny

Some of the jokes don't work, especially when they go for pure gross-out humor, but others are refreshingly dark and twisted. I especially appreciated Colin Farrell's reasons for firing some of his staff. The problem is that there is very little wit to be found in any of the other scenes. Most of the jokes, though often funny, are quite cheap and predictable. It makes for a film that is enjoyable the first time through but that doesn't make you care if you ever see it again. Which makes it perfect for something like a plane ride, but not exactly something you should feel the need to rush out and find. Still, I did like it, and that's better than I can say for most comedies this year.

Grade: B-

Best Scene: Colin Farrell telling Jason Sudeikis why he has to fire some of their employees...