 Bad Santa (2003) The basic point of it is this alcoholic safe cracker teams up with a midget each year to rob the local department store by posing as Santa and his black elf. The alcoholic, played by Billy Bob Thornton, ultimately has to redeem himself, and the black midget elf, played by Tony Cox, has to spout off and crack wise and generally be the comic relief in what's already intended to be an outrageous comedy. Gross-out humor is mostly pointless and tired, and played so brutal and ugly in Bad Santa as to be truly stomach churning. I literally almost walked out during an extended scene wherein the fat kid who has to be saved by Thornton has goopy snot dripping all down his face and into his mouth. Even writing it gives me a tongue-tightening pre-gag sensation. Ick. Not fun. Way too reminiscent of forced childhood fellatio. Thornton is pretty damn stellar, bittersweet and sometimes riotously funny as he screams and abuses everyone in sight, drinks himself into oblivion and pisses himself in front of a crowd of kids. Tony Cox got a lot of attention as the black midget, but this is a painfully thankless, horrible role, and Cox is really, really bad. He renders what should be the sympathetic, understanding but funny sidekick into a role totally without merit. Does every line have to be shouted in furious indignation? There's just nothing good to be said about the part, or Cox's work, other than to thank Zwigoff on behalf of the Little People's Actors Union for meeting the annual quota of humiliating roles for midgets. Similarly, Bernie Mac just squeezes out all lifeforce as a larcenous mall manager. By contrast, John Ritter plays his uncomfortable security chief as distinctly human, pathetic, sympathetic and ridiculous. It's another piece of great work from this underused, now thoroughly dead actor. Lauren Graham as Thornton's girlfriend, is good 'n' saucy-sexy—definitely see strong character roles ahead of her, and starring parts in some delicious TV movies. Oh, that's too snarky! She doesn't deserve such a fate, so hopefully America will really catch on and pay top dollar to see her in some shitty romantic comedies. This ain't a bad movie, but it ain't a terribly good one. Therefore, I can't really recommend it, though I did find myself laughing quite a bit, and hoping Thornton would find his center, give up the booze, and, ideally, show off nudie pix of Angelina Jolie.
Review by Crimedog |