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| Bad
Santa
Directed By: Terry
Zwigoff Plot
Summary - Review 1 - Review
2 - CURRENT REVIEWS
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| "Bad Santa" is the story of two conmen who go on a road trip to malls dressed as Santa and his elf. Rather than spreading good cheer, the duo's motive is to rob each establishment, a strategy that becomes complicated when they encounter an 8-year-old who teaches them the true meaning of Christmas. [TRAILER] It is impossible to look at this pathetic man and not laugh. Here is a mall Santa, suit torn apart, taking shots in a bar, yelling at kids, wetting his pants, committing crimes and swearing. He is not so much out of step with the Christmas spirit, but the antithesis of yuletide cheer. To look at him is to see humanity at its most cynical and uncaring. Yet there’s something about the contrast between his profession and his demeanor that is addicting and hilarious. Almost every comedy ever made uses contrasting themes to create laughs. Whether it’s a man dressing like a woman, the idiotic fools in “Dumb and Dumber” mixing with fine society or the apathetic clerical workers in “Office Space” bucking the rules of corporate land, it’s funny to see someone do something completely out of place. This is why so many stand-up comedians use vulgarity for laughs. It’s not the way we’re supposed to talk, and we giggle when someone gets away with it. So is the formula with “Bad Santa.” The real joke here is that Santa’s a creep and a jerk, and it is conveyed not only in the fact that Willie (Billy Bob Thornton) is repeatedly thrown into situations where he SHOULD be the cheerful bearded bearer of gifts, but by the simple fact that he always wears the suit. As the audience, we are constantly reminded of who he is really supposed to be, and I have to be honest and admit that I laughed hard as jolly old Santa hit on a hooker or threw up in an alley. I laughed really hard. Willie and Marcus (Tony Cox), who serves as Santa’s elf, reunite every year with the same crooked scheme in mind: They find an unsuspecting department store, volunteer to be their cheap Santa and elf, and then end the season with a grand heist of the store’s safe and merchandise. This is all the two have in their lives – a crooked get-rich-quick scheme that funds their frivolous lifestyle for the remainder of the year. In Phoenix, however, their routine hits a few snags. First, Willie is worse than usual – perpetually drunk, overly obnoxious and is so rude at one point that he nearly gets himself fired. But more importantly, Willie meets The Kid (Brett Kelly), a naïve little child who follows “Santa” after work one day, and who Willie uses for free lodging when someone breaks into his hotel room. The buddy comedy that once featured Willie and Marcus, now shifts into a story centered around Willie and The Kid. And the movie’s contrast, which once exaggerated the gap between Willie’s clothing and his actions now becomes the vast, and often shocking, juxtaposition of a disgusting adult with an innocent and needy child. “What’s it like at the North Pole?” asks the youngster. And the response, which is direct and intense, uses language that can’t be printed here. Again, in a world where adults so carefully measure their responses to a child, this offensive, no-holds-bar interaction left me with tears in my eyes. Some comedies aim for shock value. Actually, the majority of recent comedies employ little else. We should not forget, however, that this formula can, and occasionally does, work. Remember Mel Brooks’ “The Producers?” A comedy about Hitler, praising the Third Reich? Or what about Monty Python’s “The Life of Brian,” where the ending scene features Jesus singing on the cross? Shocking can be funny, but only when someone is committed to being original, taboo and relentless. Movies like “My Boss’ Daughter,” which use run-of-the-mill potty humor as a crutch, are not funny. “Bad Santa,” which frequently finds new ways of pushing the envelope, uses its offensive premise as a springboard, not an anchor. As with all comedies, it comes down to taste. Did I laugh? Yes. The movie rests on the shoulders of Thornton, and until a point when the film mistakenly turns soft, he maintains the bitterness and cynicism that makes this shocking comedy fascinating. Two days after seeing the film, I was at a mall and saw an elderly Santa, looking tired, with a line of kids waiting to gab. I thought of “Bad Santa,” of a drunken Santa swearing at the kids, and started laughing hysterically. I mean, seriously, wouldn’t you laugh a little if he really did it?  Check out Reviews, Commentary, and More at Zertinet.com |
LINKS
TO REVIEWS |
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I
think there is one extremely tantalizing
reason why you should see “Bad Santa.” You’ll get
to see Terry Zwigoff almost sell out. Finding this out after seeing
this movie barely registered in my brain, I simply ignored it as
a typo (I know rare in the credits of a nationally distributed film).
Then I checked it on IMDB. Not only is “Bad Santa” directed
and written for the screen by Zwigoff, but it also could be billed
as the follow up to the smash hit “Ghost World.” But then one can look at the rest of the credits and suddenly this movie makes a lot of sense. The Coen brothers came up with the story idea and produced the film. Not that they are not talented people in their own respects, however they have nothing in common with Zwigoff aside from the fact that they are both often billed under the horribly generic and meaningless ‘art film’ umbrella. That said, I set my expectations much too high after walking out of Ghost World and turning to fellow critic Steven Snyder a block from the theatre only to meekly udder, “Wow.” Comedy is something of a catch-22. Most of the funniest works will never be able to say much about emotions. The Simpson’s manages to sneak in a bite here and there, but I think it would be safe to say that an episode dealing with the sense of loss one feels after a major accomplishment and your role in a society full of expectations would simply be completely out of place. The dark comedy “American Beauty” tackled these issues, but the humor was far subdued and few and far between. It’s humorous, but it’s also the kind of humor that causes you to smirk a little, not laugh with your belly. “ Bad Santa” is an extremely funny movie. It’s only about 4 jokes, but they are extremely funny. I laughed from the start when he puked in an alley, and towards the end when his attempts to deliver a blood soaked pink elephant to the home he’s squatting in. Yes, these four jokes are hilarious for the entire 93 minutes of the movie. We get to see Jolly Santa drinking in excess, swearing at children, screwing women of all sizes and taking advantage of the innocent. Billy Bob Thornton fills the role so well it’s hard to believe that he isn’t Santa – or that Santa doesn’t come home Christmas day with a hooker from Cleveland and a blood alcohol level well past the point most of us would have died. What keeps Santa from becoming art and becoming a great film is that it lacks a sort of universal truth or conclusion. Towards the end of the movie there is a story thread that starts to concern some of the commercialism of Christmas, but it’s not well developed compared to the humor. We walk out of the film talking about the time Santa peed himself and the image of Santa telling a small child his desire for a new bike was unoriginal. We have to make compromises to have truly hilarious movies. Often at the expense of the much more ‘noble’ parts of movies. I normally accept this as a welcome inevitability. My only wish is that Zwigoff could let this movie silently roll off his resume. |
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