- The Night of the Hunter
In this week’s paper, J.R. Jones recommends the new comedy Bad Words, the directorial debut of actor Jason Bateman (Arrested Development, Horrible Bosses). Of the film, Jones writes, “[I]t’s not much to look at, but at least [Bateman] has the nerve to push the insolence, profanity, and brutal insult humor to its absolute limits.” I haven’t seen the film, but such an evaluation seems fitting of not only Bad Words but most films directed by actors, which tend to focus on dialogue and performance more than visual and formal design. I think this comes naturally—after all, the bulk of an actor’s job lies in dialogue and performance. Bateman is a prominent comedic actor, so it’s really not surprising that Bad Words places an emphasis on “trashy, ribald laughs.”
- Bulworth (dir. Warren Beatty, 1998) This satire of racial discrimination and political doublespeak is the best directorial effort of Beatty’s career, crackling with biting humor and an irreverent view of race relations in the Clinton years. Beatty isn’t much of a visual stylist, but he has an impeccable ear for the way people speak to one another, a skill he applies to a series of hokey but nevertheless inspired raps delivered by his character.
