"Bad Words" (2013) sees actor Jason Bateman making his directorial feature film debut. Crazy. Hilarious. Fun. Kathryn Hahn - smack.It works hard being a pain in the a** but ends up being rather a sweet story about the importance of human relationships. The way leading us there is not PC, but for sure the end is. In a way, this makes the black comedy a little less edgy but, perhaps, adds another dimension, one of the dramatic sort. Over all, Bateman does a fine job as actor-director. Chand and Hahn are much enjoyable as well. The movie is fun for the moment and the weird plot line is a strength here.

I saw this movie on at 3 a.m. after a long day. I figured I'd leave it on the TV while I drifted off to sleep on the couch. And maybe learn a few new spelling bee words through osmosis...That didn't happen.I was sucked in and had to see how this played out. I set my review to spoilers in case I give anything away though I'll try not to. There's a good deal of spot on reviews already posted so I'll give my summary of pros and cons;Pros 1) Jason Bateman's directing was an unexpected surprise. I thought he did a great job of keeping the pace and visual tone to a level that keeps the viewer interested despite the backdrop of a spelling bee.2) Jason Bateman and the kid's interactions - Jason's character is one of the most unlikeable, vulgar characters I've ever seen. Probably worse than Bad Santa due to the dexterity of his vocabulary. And his interactions with the Indian child aren't any cleaner or easier to absorb. Yet the child continues to take them with a smile and tries to befriend him regardless. Bateman's character warming up to the kid is predictable but has a few curves and is an enjoyable watch if your not offended by the 'Bad Words.'Cons 1) The relationship with the main character and the reporter that is trying to figure him out is unusual. She's interested in him as a story and as a lover, yet he really doesn't show any redeeming qualities toward her at anytime in the movie. Unless she's just a glutton for punishment with her own issues (which she apparently has if you've seen their sex scenes), this relationship makes less sense than Bad Santa and the bartender's.2) The big mystery behind his motivation for trying to win a spelling bee (in the most annoying and unusual fashion) is kind of a bust. Through Jason's interactions, it is easy to deduce his motive. His disdain for fathers, his lack of family and friends, his obsession with the spelling bee...I had it figured out pretty quick. While it doesn't hurt the movie too much as it doesn't negate the comedy or his interactions with the boy, the movie plays it like a huge surprise. It falls flat in that regard. But frankly once into the movie, I wasn't too concerned about his motivation as I was seeing how it all played out. In that regard I wasn't disappointed.3) The main character is just unlikeable to the point it's hard to believe he would garner any love interest from anyone or that any child would want to be his friend. It would take a perfect storm of damaged people or Gandhi-like patience for anyone to tolerate or want to be around him. Maybe that's the hardest part of the story to believe. He's a miserable person who wants to make everyone around him miserable. Sometimes it's hard to watch, but I had to remind myself it's just a movie. But some of his actions and words seem unnecessary and cruel.Overall, it got my interest and held onto it at 3 a.m. The plot and some of the relationships between the characters seem unlikely, but the journey and witty (if not offensive) dialogue make it worth the trip. If someone told me an offensive adult jerk joining a children's spelling bee would make for a good movie, I would not believe them; nor would I have envisioned the decent movie they've managed to create.

Overall: This movie, to me, is a hilarious movie that just doesn't care. Not the type of humor many will enjoy but those that do, it is a treat.Good: It has a dark tone of humor which I find hilarious but I can understand this might put people of. It's a stupid yet memorable concept with stupid but lovable characters. The acting all around is superb, especially from some of the kids.Bad: Despite it's peculiar concept, the actual overall plot of the movie is quite weak. It is kind of pointless that they just couldn't kick Guy out of the contest but then than is movie making. There seems be no reason for the news to be accompanying Guy other than a love interest which doesn't work that well. His whole father plot line with the dramatic reveal was pointless and came of as forced.Best Part: The albeit controversial scene where Guy meets his 'friend' on the plane shows the boundary this movie would cross. It's crude yet hilarious and sets the characters relationship up perfectly.7/10

Jason Bateman makes his feature directorial debut with the subversive comedy Bad Words. Mr. Bateman stars as Guy Trilby, a 40-year-old who finds a loophole in the rules of The Golden Quill national spelling bee and decides to cause trouble by hijacking the competition. Contest officials, outraged parents, and overly ambitious 8th graders are no match for Guy, as he ruthlessly crushes their dreams of victory and fame. As a reporter (Kathryn Hahn of We're the Millers) attempts to discover his true motivation, Guy finds himself forging an unlikely alliance with a competitor: awkward 10-year-old Chaitanya (Rohan Chand of Homeland), who is completely unfazed by Guy's take-no-prisoners approach to life.