Bad Teacher

It seems as though I have to accept the new baseline for today's comedies. Once again, I see audiences entertained by profane, selfish slackers whose value system is totally warped. Case in point, our "heroine," the eponymous "Bad Teacher" has only one goal, to get breast implants. She is singularly focused on that, to the exclusion of her job, her coworkers, her students and her (soon-to-be-ex) fiancé. She lies, cheats and steals without compunction...BUT...this movie is actually sorta funny.

These people make it work:

• Cameron Diaz ("The Green Hornet") brings her long-legged charm to a charmless role; we end up hoping things will work out for her character, even though she is too rude to be sympathetic.
  
• Justin Timberlake ("The Social Network") has said in interviews that his is the most unique sex scene in the history of movie-making. I think I agree.
  
• John Michael Higgins (LOTS of TV and Christopher Guest's repertory company) brings sympathy and frustration to his role as the dolphin-loving principal of the school that ill-advisedly hired that horrid teacher in the first place.
  
• Jason Segel ("I Love You, Man") plays the gym teacher who decides, despite all evidence to the contrary, that our "Bad Teacher" is the one for him.
  
• Lucy Punch ("Dinner For Schmucks") has a surprisingly meaty role this time. Her character is one of those sickeningly "cute" teachers who condescends to her students and fellow teachers; they in turn, sneer at her behind her back.
  
• Jillian Armenante (Lots of TV) has very little to do as another teacher. I'm just including her because I know how good she can be from her old Annex Theatre days here in Seattle.

Suffice it to say, if you have a high tolerance for risqué jokes and bawdy humor, you'll probably find "Bad Teacher" to be pretty good.

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Here is a link to a preview:
http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3131219225/
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