Bad Teacher

Forget all your big blockbuster films. This is the movie that I have been most looking forward to seeing over the USA summer period.

Some of you may know that after high school I completed a degree in Primary School teaching at university. All my life when ever someone asked me what I wanted to be when I grow up I would say a teacher. But during my prac teaching I found out what the real world was like and lost interest in it. I've always had a love of film as well and so when I got a job at a cinema and got to see a lot more movies my interests changed. After seeing this film though, if I could behave like Elizabeth Halsey I would go back to teaching. Just play movies for kids while I sleep at the desk. That is my idea of a great job. But she also likes to use dodgeball as a way to motivate the kids. If I could throw a ball at a kid for getting a question wrong that would be awesome. I'd also love to be open and honest when correcting a child's work and be able to write the honest truth on their tests. That is why I found this film to be hilarious. I'm not sure if 'almost' being a teacher helps appreciate the film more because it is an ideal situation I would like to be in. I know not many have found it all that funny and I think thats because of the marketing. The trailers make it seem like a dirty adult comedy but it was not as dirty as expected. I did not mind this as I still found the film to be incredibly funny.

Cameron Diaz is an excellent actress. he can play drama as well as comedy. I do find though that her best comedies are those where she can be a bit more outrageous like in this one. She is excellent at playing the bitch. I just love to watch her react when people are talking to her. Just the contempt she has for the other person is amazing. Disappointingly Justin Timberlake does not have much to do in the film except be the object of desire. He does have one very funny sex scene but otherwise has little to do. Jason Segel is really funny and has some excellent one-liners in the film. His verbal sparing with Cameron is hilarious. Lucy Punch is an English actress getting a lot of good work in the Hollywood. She has been playing mad characters but she does it so well. I also especially loved Phyllis Smith. Her dead pan performance is so funny.

I think this is one of those films that you need to have worked in the profession on display to fully appreciate it. It certainly lived up to my expectations despite not being as crude as it could have been.