Hollywood & Swine is proud to introduce the newest member of its staff, 16-year-old David Manning, Jr., a second generation film critic. Manning, who attends Ridgefield High School, begins his new position today by reviewing Focus Features’ “Bad Words,” which follows below.

“I”m excited to bring my passion for cinema and objectivity to my new job at Hollywood & Swine,” Manning, Jr. said from his home in Ridgefield, Conn. “Get ready, movie fans, for the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.”

BAD WORDS

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I wish I could have some bad words to say about Jason Bateman’s directorial debut “Bad Words,” but I can’t think of a single one! In addition to directing, Bateman gives a tour de force performance as Guy Trilby, a politically incorrect 40-year-old who exploits a loophole which allows him to enter a national spelling bee, leading to some of the most hilarious consequences in cinema history!

Like most critics, I went into the theater skeptical about how Bateman and screenwriter Andrew Dodge would pull off such a wildly absurd premise, but the filmmakers proved more than capable. Unlike some of my peers who have dismissed “Bad Words” as another comedy which uses racism and stereotypes to obtain lazy laughs, I am a critic who understands subtext. Not since Spike Lee’s masterpiece “Do the Right Thing” has a film confronted racism in such a thought provoking and honest way!

The heart of the film comes from Guy’s relationship with fellow competitor, 10-year old Chaitanya Chopra, played by the incredible young actor Rohand Chand. Chand, who first burst on the scene as Adam Sandler’s adopted son in 2011’s “Jack and Jill,” delivers such a game-changing performance in “Bad Words,” that he is without a doubt the front runner to take home the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Thanks to Bateman’s subtle directing and Dodge’s skillful writing, the unlikely friendship between Guy and Chaitanya never feels forced and stays with you long after you leave theaters.

The supporting performances by Kathryn Hahn, Phillip Baker Hall, Allison Janney, and Ben Falcone were all stellar, proving Bateman has as strong of a knack for casting as he does for acting and directing. The editing by Tatiana S. Reigel never felt distracting and cinematographer Ken Sung improves on his already impressive work on “Project X,” Step Up 3D,” “Sorority Row,” and “Quarantine.”