Bad teacher, indifferent movie

Rating: Null/10 (4 November 2011)

'Bad Teacher' is a film that sounds as if it should be fun: Cameron Diaz plays someone meeting this description, a young woman with no real desire to teach. But the result is very disappointing. Firstly, with typical Hollywood sexism, her professional indifference comes from an expectation of securing a rich man to look after her. But more importantly, not a lot happens in the film. We don't see extraordinary displays of bad teaching or bad behaviour; there isn't even that hoary old chestnut, the redemption story. Instead, another (not particularly sympathetic) teacher tries to expose Diaz, and fails, and that's about it. It's neither realistic nor entertaining, while Diaz, to be frank, looks a little odd, her approaching middle age hidden behind a peculiar face-mask - she neither seems young or old, but a rather curious twenty-going on-forty. There's surely the potential for a rich black comedy in the basic idea; but sadly, this isn't it.