Review of The Substitute

I finally came to view this, yesterday, if only for Marky Mark Wahlberg. He gives a kind of breakthrough, if memorable performance. Suck factor: he dies 51 minutes into the movie, at which point I, turned off. Killing MM in this film, is like sticking a knife right in the belly of it, his life, taken by the murderous crazed, hottie teach, Donahue, a human sex magnet to the eyes of any male, much more ones, who are undersexed. She killed her former hottie husband, after catching him in bed with one of her students, and from there, she just loses it, where cut to the present, she's starting a whole new life, in a new town, and new school, substituting for an old hag, the students were glad to see go. She catches the eye of a young good male student, whose hormones are working overtime. He becomes fixated with her, despite his nicey nice, seet and prim proper girlfriend, Natasha Gregson Wagner. The Substitute, the same title taken a few years later by that Berenger school yard film, is stupid, but marvelously and addictively entertaining, shot how 90's t.v movies were shot, and we wouldn't want it any other way. Donahue and Wahlberg, before he became a rennaisance man, or got any army intelligence, are the two assets here. Donahue, gives a memorably knock out performance, while Wahlberg, generates so much charm, and natural ease in it's acting. You can look at it, as bad, or is it? His entry, while reciting a poem to a much younger Amy Adams, is a hoot as seeing him in some other scenes, such a rebel. I'm sorry I turned off after 51 minutes, but it just wasn't right, disposing of Wahlberg, like a down right low kick to the guts.