CATRIONA PAUL at the Movies.

HERE’S A COMEDY with bite starring Billy Bob Thornton as the alcoholic, foul-mouthed Santa from a parent’s worst nightmare. Directed by Terry Zwigoff, the idea for Bad Santa originated with the Coen brothers, who stayed on board to produce the film. The result is a surprise feel-good film, crass but refreshing, honest and odd.
  
Billie Bob Thornton is Willie, a drunk con who pulls on a Santa suit each year in order to knock off department stores come Christmas Eve. Head of operations is Santa’s little helper, Marcus (Tony Cox). Willie hates the Santa job, hates children, and hates himself. He turns up to work drunk, growls at children, shags noisily in the changing rooms and doesn’t always make it to the bathroom when he needs to go.
 
Marcus keeps them from getting the sack by threatening discrimination (he’s black and a midget). Then, a fat white kid with a bad afro (Brett Kelly) befriends Santa, and a crooked security guard (Bernie Mac) clocks their scam. This Christmas, things aren’t going to plan.
  
The film takes a while to get going. Santa’s foulness is clear enough but the plot takes a while to kick in. Billy Bob Thornton is truly revolting as Santa. If ever there was a part he was born to play, this is it. Dirty, gross, unapologetic. Then he starts trying to teach The Kid something about sticking up for himself, and a slightly nicer side emerges. It also leads to one of the funniest scenes in the film, with Marcus the elf and the Kid sizing up to one another in a boxing ring with Santa as umpire.
 
The characters are well-written and well played, the story satisfying. And the biggest surprise?  By the film’s end, you think of Santa’s foul mouth fondly. Go on, treat yourself to a happy ending without the soppiness or stereotypes and try Bad Santa.
  
BAD SANTA

Director: Terry Zwigoff
Writers: Glenn Ficarra & John Requa
Stars: Billy Bob Thornton, Tony Cox, Bretty Kelly, Bernie Mac, John Ritter, Lauren Graham, Lauren Tom
Certificate: 15
Running Time: 91 mins
Country: USA / Germany
Year: 2003
 

© Catriona Paul, 2004