Bad Teacher

What it’s about:

Elizabeth Halsey (Cameron Diaz) is a disinterested school teacher who is looking to find a man – and his wallet – to take care of her expensive tastes and habits. When her sugar daddy kicks her out, she finds herself back at school along with a new substitute teacher, Scott Delacorte (Justin Timberlake). Scott’s family is very wealthy and he becomes Elizabeth’s next target. There’s only one thing standing in her way – the sweet but psychotic social sciences teacher Amy Squirrel (Lucy Punch).

What we thought:

Most characters experience some kind of catharsis towards the end of the movie. This bad teacher has no plans to be a good teacher, and it’s utterly refreshing to engage with a character that’s so comfortable in her self-interest and isn’t motivated to change. For all her manipulation, lies and drug use, her acceptance of herself is inspiring.

Cameron Diaz is great at playing the bitch. I’ve never really considered her to be a great actress, not even half-way decent, so that leaves me wondering what it is about this role that’s different.

Perhaps it’s because compared to her ex, Justin Timberlake, she’s Oscar material. He puts in a good effort to camp it up as the creepy nerd Scott, but he draws too heavily on The Lonely Island brand of humour, which just doesn’t translate as well in this film.

Or it’s the great script. It must be incredibly liberating for an actress to take on Elizabeth’s foul mouth and reckless charm with no consequences. Her scathing remarks and couldn’t-care-less attitude carry the film.

Most unlikely is that she’s improved as an actress. Either way, let’s give credit where credit is due.

While the pace lags at times, the gags, the cameos and those killer Louboutins hold the audience’s interest. Watching Elizabeth light a bong over a gas stove is priceless.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall’s Jason Segel delivers sarcasm with such expert subtlety. His performance as gym teacher Russell Gettis is not far from his usual shtick, but it’s still great.

Lucy Punch is a treat as the crazy Amy and pushover Lynn, played by Phyllis Smith, is hilarious thanks to a few killer one-liners.

A few dodgy edits and the prerequisite predictable conclusions result in this totally flawed comedy that makes no apologies. It’s still worth a watch.