BAD EDUCATION : Official Reviews ( SPOILERS)

[jo]

Another review that raises Hugh Jackman's profile as a consummate actor!

From out west, in Arizona --


www.azcentral.com/story/entertainment/movies/billgoodykoontz/2020/04/24/hbo-bad-education-review/5157752002/

[jo]

The stricter ( and more looked up) rating system is METACRITIC! They come from acknowledged top critics and are based on actual assigned grades.

As of now BAD EDUCATION has earned a rating of 79.

In comparison, METACRITIC scores for :

Logan : 77%
X-Men : Days of Future Past : 75%
The Prestige : 70 %
Prisoners : 66 %
Les Misérables : 63%

However, the above ratings for those movies had more critic reviews included and are final compilations. Presumably, Bad Education's rating is what is at the moment.

www.metacritic.com/movie/bad-education-2019/critic-reviews

Bad Education
HBO | Release Date: April 25, 2020


CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
79

METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews
based on 19 Critic Reviews


Positive:
17

Mixed:
2

Negative:
0

******************************

Critic Reviews
Critic scorePublicationBy date
Note: the link provides the individual media outlet being represented by each critic.


90
Alissa Wilkinson
Apr 24, 2020
Where the film really sings — aside from its often darkly funny writing and surprisingly thrilling take on what could have been a dull bureaucratic scandal — is in tracing the effects of the pressures placed on administrators and faculty. Read full review

90
Justin Chang
Apr 24, 2020
Bad Education reminds us how synonymous great acting and great lying can be. Jackman and Janney, both giving their richest performances in some time, manage to pull the wool over your eyes with one hand even as they teasingly pull back the curtain with the other. Read full review

90
Peter Debruge
Sep 9, 2019
Bad Education doesn’t shy away from the humor of the situation, but it doesn’t go for the cheap laughs either. Read full review


85
Richard Lawson
Sep 9, 2019
Bad Education (which honestly isn’t a great title for this movie) is an arresting, nuanced depiction of insatiable want, of the bitter fact that reaching for things is often more instinctual, more human, than holding on to what we’ve already got. Read full review


83
A.A. Dowd
Sep 14, 2019
The strength of Jackman’s performance is that he hoodwinks us with his decency. Read full review

83
Charles Bramesco
Sep 12, 2019
Jackman shines, teasing us with suggestions of just how deep his performance runs. Read full review

83
David Ehrlich
Sep 9, 2019
However disappointing it might be that Bad Education is too delicate (and true) to really go wild and let Finley indulge in the flamboyance that made “Thoroughbreds” such a wicked treat, this is a young director who can see the whole chess game 20 moves in advance. Read full review

80
Hank Stuever
Apr 24, 2020
Such stories of quiet malfeasance never get old. No matter how lovely and admired the neighborhood lawns may be, the idea that there’s a snake or two in the grass hasn’t lost its narrative potency — even now, in an era of constant, top-down deceit. Read full review

80
John Anderson
Apr 24, 2020
It’s a delicate and memorable performance by Mr. Jackman. Ms. Janney does the whole Long Island thing as well as anyone ever has. The most resonant character, though, might be Rachel, whom Ms. Viswanathan imbues with the indignation of youth—something the rest of the characters have long outgrown, but which the story was always going to need. Read full review

80
Peter Travers
Apr 24, 2020
In the end, the audience is rewarded with a steadily riveting provocation that jabs at the culture of money that makes us all complicit. Read full review

80
Ben Kenigsberg
Apr 23, 2020
It’s Jackman, whose smile appears increasingly wolfish as the film goes on (and as Frank’s face grows taut with cosmetic surgery), who ultimately owns Bad Education. It’s a plum part, sure, but also a deeply unsympathetic one — a chance for the actor to channel his charisma toward dark, mischievous ends. Read full review

80
Stephanie Zacharek
Apr 16, 2020
Bad Education is a story of small-town villains who just can’t help themselves, and it’s fun to see how their own carelessness trips them up. These are people we can’t trust, played by actors we trust implicitly. Why not be flimflammed by the best? Read full review

80
Jordan Mintzer
Sep 9, 2019
It’s perhaps less flamboyantly enjoyable than Finley’s first feature, but it also digs deeper into the souls of its characters, asking how a few people meant to ensure the pedagogy of hundreds of children could flunk out so badly. Read full review

75
RogerEbert.com
Christy Lemire
Apr 24, 2020
Bad Education also calls to mind the great Alexander Payne film “Election,” with its students who are smarter and savvier than you’d expect and teachers who aren’t as mature and responsible as you’d hope. Finley actually could have used a bit more of Payne’s sharp bite in tackling this material. Read full review

75
Barry Hertz
Apr 21, 2020
Every now and then, Jackman dips into Serious Acting exercises but seems so visibly uncomfortable placing himself in such situations that he feels a micro-second from jumping out of his own skin, when he should instead be sinking into someone else’s (see The Fountain, Prisoners, The Front Runner). Read full review

75
The Film Stage
Jared Mobarak
Sep 12, 2019
Bad Education is a roller coaster ride from start to finish as the surface sheen of success is peeled back to reveal the proverbial bodies buried to achieve it. Read full review

70
Brian Lowry
Apr 24, 2020
With Hugh Jackman and Allison Janney as a can't-miss combination, Bad Education joins a juicy true story somewhere in the middle, drags before getting into the meat of it, and then rallies solidly in the second half. While smaller in tone and topic than most HBO movies, it's a solid exploration of greed and corruption, where the ultimate hero is, of all things, a teenage journalist. Read full review

60
Tim Grierson
Sep 17, 2019
Hugh Jackman commits fully to his role as a vain superintendent trying to stay two steps ahead of his lies and self-delusion. Ultimately, though, the character and themes feel a little too simplistic — a movie’s paltry attempt to explain the inscrutability of human nature, which is so interesting precisely because it’s so mysterious. Read full review

60
The Guardian
Benjamin Lee
Sep 10, 2019
It’s a slight movie at times, unfocused at others, even plodding in parts, and I didn’t leave the cinema entirely convinced that it was the most satisfying way to tell this particular story but I did leave feeling confident in both Jackman’s prowess and Finley’s promise, yet to be fully realised. Read full review

More From This Movie

[jo]

Hugh confesses that he does not like to read reviews of his work!

Someone should persuade him that he has to wade, and wade slowly, through all the reviews of BAD EDUCATION...to appreciate that the career path he has been taking since he left us with LOGAN is pointing him in the right direction.

This review is from India, but it is written fully appreciating the kind of talent that Hugh Jackman has shown the whole world in the last 2 decades.


Deb - make an album of all the reviews and keep them aside just in case he may finally want to read them in your golden years



Here's the review from India's Hindustan Times --

www.hindustantimes.com/hollywood/bad-education-movie-review-hugh-jackman-delivers-acting-masterclass-in-superb-hbo-satire/story-yaTrq0Ut6vwJNMTpJOuCRK.html

Home / Hollywood
Bad Education movie review: Hugh Jackman delivers acting masterclass in superb HBO satire

Bad Education movie review: Hugh Jackman plays a rare psychopath in the superb HBO satire, earns top marks.

hollywood Updated: Apr 25, 2020 18:45 IST

Rohan Naahar
Hindustan Times

Bad Education movie review: Hugh Jackman sinks his teeth into a deliciously twisted character in satirical HBO film.


Bad Education
Director - Cory Finley
Cast - Hugh Jackman, Allison Janney, Geraldine Viswanathan, Ray Romano


Bad Education makes you wonder what sort of career Hugh Jackman would’ve had if he hadn’t been cast as Wolverine — almost by chance — 20 years ago. In this alternate reality, Jackman would probably still be a superstar, having capitalised on his success in musical theatre to become a respected actor with multiple Oscar nominations under his belt. But instead of starting his career in blockbusters, he’d perhaps have worked his way towards them.

It’s difficult to repress the sort of talent that he has. Even without the leg-up that being a Marvel superhero has no doubt provided him, Jackman would’ve found a way. But regardless of how the dice rolled for him, watching Jackman in Bad Education feels like some kind of reward.


It captures him in truly spectacular form, exercising sheer charisma and a resounding screen presence in what has to be one of the few times in his career that he has played a legitimate psychopath — the wrinkly yet charismatic administrator named Frank Tassone.

Based on a strange but true story about corruption in the upper administration of a school district, Bad Education is perhaps the strangest metaphor for the current socio-political climate that you’re likely to see. It’s one thing to find shades of the refugee crisis in Thor: Ragnarok or to notice criticism of American foreign policy in Iron Man, but Bad Education’s takedown of Trumpian government is deftly disguised.

On the surface, the film is an unsettling account of how absolute power corrupts absolutely. But it is also a character study, and another reminder that director Cory Finley, at just two films old, has a stunningly unique voice.

Like his debut feature, Thoroughbreds, Bad Education flat-out rejects the notion that it can be confined to a certain style of film. By slithering in and out of several genres — pitch-black comedy, character drama, paranoid thriller — it becomes its own thing.

Finley barely uses a background score, which only amplifies the unsettling tone that he somehow sustains for close to two hours. Because you’re never told what to feel, you’re left with no choice but to surrender yourself to the filmmaking and performances. Finley does, however, capture a very precise moment in recent history, thanks to the a killer soundtrack — Moby and Dido drop by — and the use of film stock over digital. The film feels like it was made in 2003, with cinematographer Lyle Vincent’s visuals twitching with analogue energy, despite rather static frames.

From the onset, writer Mike Makowsky’s screenplay leaves a trail of breadcrumbs for the viewer to follow — the film is always a step ahead. This could easily have transformed Bad Education into somewhat of a patronising lecture, but Finley avoids this trap. As the walls close in on Frank from all sides — his superior and colleagues are onto him, as is a wet-behind-the-ears teen reporter, played by star-in-the-making Geraldine Viswanathan — Jackman’s performance begins to flicker with a sort of mania.

It’s an origin story of a criminal; a man whose progress was arrested before he could do more harm, such as standing for office in higher positions of authority. Bad Education isn’t as prophetic as Alexander Payne’s Election, but it’s certainly worth studying.

[jo]

lights-camera-jackson.com/bad-education-review/

Lights Camera Jackson
Movie Reviews, Entertainment News and Views from Lights Camera Jackson

‘Bad Education’ Review
April 19, 2020 By Jackson Murphy

“Bad Education” debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival last September. At that time it was still seeking a distributor. Many industry analysts predicted the film would be bought-up by a studio looking to, both release it theatrically, and make it immediately eligible for the 2019 awards season. That strategy would’ve complicated things for a couple of reasons.

First, it was already shaping-up to be a crowded, competitive awards season. Secondly, Hugh Jackman, the film’s star, wasn’t able to attend the TIFF premiere, and likely couldn’t have done much campaigning for the movie because he was in the midst of a global concert tour.


In the end, HBO scooped-up “Bad Education” for an eye-popping $20 million. The question everyone asked: Why would a studio pay that much for a movie that couldn’t compete for Oscars?

Fast-forward 7-months. Most movie theaters are closed. Most big-budget studio films have had their release dates delayed or are in limbo. And now, here comes “Bad Education” — on HBO.

Make no mistake. Even though it’s premiering on television, “Bad Education” is not a traditional “Made for TV” movie (if that phrase even applies anymore). People have become accustomed to watching Netflix and Amazon original films on TVs/mobile devices. But those studios open their showcase movies in a couple of theaters in LA for a week to qualify them for the Academy Awards. HBO isn’t doing that.


“Bad Education” could finally force film purists to evolve to the new world of movie consumption. In this crazy, ‘all bets are off’ year, HBO can go two ways with their hot property. They can play it safe, and only pursue Emmy and TV movie nominations from the Golden Globes, Critics Choice and SAG. Or — they can challenge the Academy’s long-standing policy which prohibits films debuting on TV from being Oscar eligible.

I hope they chose the latter, because “Bad Education” deserves to compete at the highest level. This is THE BEST motion picture released in theaters, on VOD, streaming platforms or cable in 2020.



“Bad Education” is based on a true story. But to be in position to be truly awed as things unfold, I strongly suggest avoiding as many details as you can. Here’s the basic framework: It’s 2002. Frank Tassone is the Superintendent of Long Island’s Roslyn City School District. Thanks to years of driving-up test scores and college admissions, Tassone’s been able to get Roslyn to the #4 ranking in the nation. His goal is #1.

Allison Janney plays Assistant Superintendent Pamela Gluckin. Pam doesn’t have the same colorful vocabulary as LaVona Harding, but there’s clearly a similar vibe to that “I, Tonya” role that earned Janney her Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 2017. The two films also share the same edgy tone and unpredictable structure. Every moment Janney is on screen she’s a knockout. Ray Romano, most recently in “The Irishman”, has a bigger, better role here as Bob Spicer, President of the Roslyn School Board.

This trio (and others) get caught-up in something a little… fishy. And at the center of it all is a student, writing for the high school newspaper. Rachel (Geraldine Viswanathan) stumbles onto a story and…
It’s difficult to dissect “Bad Education” without giving too much away. Every scene, every element of Mike Makowsky’s electric screenplay has a purpose — and is worthy of discussion. Makowsky gradually reveals small detail after small detail, holding back some key elements until the final minutes. It’s a brilliant example of restraint. And the attention
to realism is uncanny:

teachers/administrators seeking to know as much as they can about their students
wealthy Long Island snobbery
obsession with education budgets
helicopter parents

the enthusiasm and dedication of one ambitious student who’s invested (maybe too much) in the well-being of her school
Another masterstroke was shooting “Bad Education” on film. This, combined with bold visual choices (including a borderline haunting framework), allow director Cory Finley’s vision to soar.



And all the performances rise to the level of the material. Aside from his virtuoso work as Jean Valjean in 2012’s “Les Miserables”, Jackman’s performance here is the best of his career. This is the type of juicy, vibrant, multi-dimensional role that all actors dream of. And Jackman is magnificent, portraying a man obsessed with appearances. But we’re never quite sure what that appearance is hiding.

Late in “Bad Education”, he delivers a monologue that’s now one of my all-time movie favorites. It’s funny, honest, sad — and yet it’s coming out of the month of… well… you’ll see what I mean.

The real-life scandal that inspired “Bad Education” is spellbinding. The movie elevates those events to an exhilarating level. As you’re (hopefully) watching it in your home this weekend (Sat. at 8pm), don’t be fooled. This is THE BEST movie of 2020 to date, and very likely could still hold that title at year’s end.

LCJ GRADE: A

Running Time: 108 min.
Filed Under: A, Grade, Movie Reviews, Rating, Unrated Tagged With: Allison Janney, Bad Education, Bad Education Review, HBO, Hugh Jackman

[jo]

www.reeltalkreviews.com/browse/viewitem.asp?type=review&id=9371

New Reviews
Bad Education (2020)


Rated 2.5 stars

School Daze
by Betty Jo Tucker


Never underestimate the power of a student newspaper. Bad Education, based on true events, offers proof to back up that statement. Although not the major character in this uneven dramedy, a student wrote the article for the Roslyn (New York) high school paper that exposed the single largest public school embezzlement scandal in American history.

This movie reveals the dirty deals involved and the two main people who committed the crime. Surprisingly, the culprits were Roslyn’s superintendent Frank Tassone and his assistant Pam Gluchkin, portrayed by Hugh Jackman and Allison Janney, respectively. What a good time these fine actors must have had bringing Frank and Pam to life on screen! Both intrigue us and hold our interest despite their flaws. Allison gives Pam a glow for greed, and Jackman makes Frank reek with confidence and vanity during most of his scenes.

Still, I wish journalist student Rachel Bhargam received more camera attention here. That way, viewers would have a character to care about. Young Geraldine Viswanathan (Blockers) delivers a lovely calm performance in that key role. She brings a breath of fresh air to such a nasty tale.

While watching Bad Education I couldn’t help thinking about Jackman’s plans to star in a Broadway revival of THE MUSIC MAN. His role as Frank Tassone seems like excellent preparation for portraying Professor Harold Hill. Both men know how to win friends and influence people with their charismatic behavior. Well, the corona virus pandemic has put a damper on live theater, so these plans will have to wait. Too bad Bad Education isn’t a musical. It’s always more fun to watch Jackman sing and dance.



No Wolverine or song and dance,
Hugh Jackman takes another chance.
He plays a man full of himself
with morals left upon the shelf.

“Bad Education” is the name
of this movie that we can blame.
Allison Janney plays a part too
as a person we want to boo.

Based on events which are so true,
the story makes us feel quite blue.
Crime does not pay. Well maybe not.
Watch last credit to laugh a lot.


Directed by Cory Finley (Thoroughbreds) and written by Mike Makowsky (I Think We’re Alone Now) – who was a Roslyn student during this scandal --

Bad Education isn’t a bad movie. But it left me with an emptiness I can’t explain.

Rather fail with honor than succeed with fraud. --- Sophocles
(Released by HBO and rated TV-MA by MPAA.)

[jo]

Hugh Tassone is running fast with the reviews and has caught up with LOGAN!

93 %
TOMATOMETER
Total Count: 68

Both movies are strong character studies...and elevate Hugh Jackman's dramatic talent!

[jo]

www.vulture.com/2020/04/bad-education-review-hugh-jackman-in-a-great-dramatic-role.html

Vulture

movie review Apr. 25, 2020
Bad Education Gives Hugh Jackman One of His Greatest Dramatic Roles
By Alison Willmore

Cory Finley’s sly dissection of a Long Island embezzlement scandal — premiering on HBO — plays to its leading man’s theatrical strengths. Photo: HBO

Hugh Jackman’s a showman at heart, an actor who’s always been better at projecting toward the back of the house than scaling down into naturalism. He can commit wholeheartedly and with admirable gusto to a Wolverine growl, and he can belt the hell out of some Rodgers and Hammerstein. But the same innate theatrical streak can come across as artificiality in less heightened roles — which is why he’s tended to be at his best in movies that lean into the quality. And Bad Education, the new film from Thoroughbreds director Cory Finley, is the kind of work that plays into Jackman’s strengths with a savvy precision. As Frank Tassone, school superintendent for the village of Roslyn on Long Island’s tonier North Shore, Jackman gives his best dramatic performance since he played the obsessive, hollow Robert Angier in The Prestige.

Frank is a man who spends his days patiently handling helicopter parents and jaunting off to attend education conferences over the weekend. The most significant relationship in his life appears to be with his job, which he’s both devoted to and tireless at, though on his desk he keeps a photo of the late wife he says he is still grieving for. He may be an administrator, but he’s a performer at heart, and what he loves most is being onstage, never seeming more alive than when he’s being adored. The first time we see him, he’s using the men’s restroom as his own personal green room, doing some last-minute primping in front of the mirror before going out in front of an applauding crowd in the auditorium. They’re congratulating him for the fact that under his stewardship, Roslyn has risen to a new high point on the Wall Street Journal’s annual list of public schools — though it rankles Frank that they’re only number four, and not number one.

Bad Education is based on the true story of a major embezzlement case that rocked the Roslyn school district, and that was actually reported by New York in 2004, in a feature that informed the script from writer (and Roslyn grad!) Mike Makowsky. But if you’re not already caught up on your turn-of-the-millennium Long Island scandals, I’d suggest steering clear of the details and letting the film unfold them for you. The narrative is pushed along with the help of Rachel (Geraldine Viswanathan), a reporter at the school newspaper who comes to Frank for some quotes on a self-described “puff piece” about an upcoming construction project. He challenges her to think bigger than that, a gesture of encouragement that’s practically conditioned, but that turns out to be an act of hubristic folly. She takes his words to heart and starts digging, her story running in parallel to his, and by the next time they have a talk, she’s started to unravel damning truths about the way the school’s money has been spent, a foe of Frank’s own inadvertent creation.


It’s a delicious touch, the teen journalist playing a role in exposing the truth, but then, a lot of the details of this story are worth savoring. One of the reasons the film is such a satisfying watch, if a little less straightforwardly entertaining than Thoroughbreds, is how it sidles up to new developments slowly, using each one to shed light on a previously unseen and often surprising aspect of Frank’s life and personality. He’s a man who’s been driven off the rails by the contradictions of his job, of running a school that’s meant to be a public good but that’s still obviously awash in commerce. He and all the people he works with are supposed to have chosen their careers for the meaning, not the money. But at the same time, as the movie underscores early on, a good school brings up housing prices and attracts more funding from parents — the people who then expect to be treated like customers. Frank runs his district as though it were a corporation, with SAT scores and college acceptance in place of profits. But then, if he’s the CEO in addition to being a humble civil servant, well, doesn’t he deserve some of the things that CEOs get?


Jackman has some able support in the film from Ray Romano as a trustee and supporter, and Rafael Casal as a former student. But Allison Janney, who plays Frank’s fellow administrator and functional accomplice, Pam Gluckin, is his most revealing screen partner. Pam’s slip-up sets events into motion, bringing attention to how openly school money is being spent on things that are not remotely school related. But before any of that happens, there’s a scene in which she and Frank grab a few minutes to eat lunch together outside; she eats a sandwich, and he sips on a diet smoothie. They have the teasing dynamic of two people who know each other very well, but what stands out about the scene, in retrospect, is how little they say out loud. The scene gives you a taste of how they ended up where they did, maybe never actively conspiring, just allowing things to happen, a little more each time. The perversity of it all is that Frank is both great at his job and a self-deluding criminal, and Jackman finds drollness in this juxtaposition alongside a sense of tawdry tragedy.

[jo]

The focus of this review is Jackman, Jackman, Jackman! One almost wonders if this film could have been as nearly successful if the role of Frank Tassone had been played by another actor?

cinematicconsiderations.com/2020/04/27/bad-education-keeping-up-appearances/

Cinematic Considerations

Bad Education: Keeping up appearances


April 27, 2020 / Leave a Comment
by Matt Ward

To understand what kind of a film “Bad Education” seeks to be, it’s important to first be introduced to the values of the world director Cory Finley and screenwriter Mike Makowsky bring audiences into.

Set in an affluent Long Island community, Roslyn School District Superintendent Frank Tassone aims to make his district number one in America (they’re number four) and the school board president begins his meeting updates by tallying up how many Roslyn students have been admitted to elite universities.

“The better the school system, the higher the price tag on the homes,” one grateful community member (and real estate agent) brags to Tassone in the film’s opening moments.

Money and status are the keys to power in this world, and Finley and Makowsky find their way to communicating elitism to a broad audience with a dark, subtle humor and smart writing.

Based on a true story, the film follows Roslyn’s school system as it navigates a financial scandal that could destroy not only the school’s finances, but the reputations of its seemingly perfect staff.




“Bad Education” gives Hugh Jackman the opportunity to show off the biggest part of his on-screen persona – the relentless charm of a showman – in a way that other actors might turn into a snake-oil salesman, but that the Australian actor turns into a revealing, nuanced look into the effects of the public education system on those who work to help kids excel.

The allure of casting Jackman as Tassone preys on the film’s audience by luring them into a false sense of security with the performer that masks his character’s true intentions. There’s a sense of naturally rooting for Jackman that extends over to Tassone as audiences watch everyone in the world of the film faun over Tassone and place him on a pedestal.

Viewers who come into “Bad Education” without any history with the true story may be confused as to how things turned sideways for Roslyn. One Jackman smile and it all makes sense.


Even in moments where Tassone is forced to verbally confront others, Jackman’s measured approach comes across as genuine to the other characters in the scene and slightly underhanded to knowing viewers. It’s a deep, engaging performance that may well be one of the best in Jackman’s career.

While all eyes are rightfully on Jackman’s performance throughout, there’s an easy case to be made that Emmy and Oscar-winning actress Allison Janney’s scene-stealing turn as assistant superintendent Pam Gluckin deserved a full two-hour spotlight. Janney excels in roles that allow her to elongate naturally dry, sarcastic humor and her performance as Gluckin is a masterclass in facial expressions to convey contempt.





Ray Romano plays a convincingly dopey school board president, while “Blockers” star Geraldine Viswanathan showcases her potential to be a breakout star with another stellar performance as Rachel, a skeptical Roslyn journalism student encouraged by Tassone to dig deeper into her stories.

On the surface, “Bad Education” is a straightforward, simply shot and plainly directed film. But underneath the cosmetics are layers of subtle, nuanced critiques of elite East Coast ideologies and societal pressures to succeed at any cost.
Smartly, many of these themes are laid out in reverse where the audience sees the end results of actions before understanding what is happening in context and the cinematic subterfuge only truly reveals itself after the credits roll or on a subsequent viewing, where minor characters who didn’t seem important at first glance make sense in the aftermath.
If there’s a major flaw within “Bad Education,” it’s the journalistic strings that the film doesn’t tug on as events reveal themselves. Rachel’s investigation into the school’s finances stops dead in its tracks for large segments of the film despite being some of the most compelling from a plot perspective and a deeper look at Roslyn in the vein of the New York Magazine article by Robert Kolker this film was based on would make for a worthy, entertaining companion piece.

After debuting at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival, “Bad Education” was quickly purchased by HBO’s film division, which released Finley’s feature on the premium cable channel Saturday evening. It’s sure to be a major player at the Golden Globes and Emmys with acting nods for Jackman and Janney a certainty and “Bad Education” a contender for best miniseries or television film.

With a dynamic lead performance from Jackman and a terrific ensemble cast, “Bad Education” offers up a revealing, subtle glimpse inside the world of public school education on a country club budget and is well worth seeking out on HBO.

[jo]

From Grace Randolph --

[jo]

www.hollywoodnews.com/2020/04/27/bad-education-is-a-masterclass-from-hugh-jackman/

April 28, 2020


HollywoodNews.com > *NEWS > “Bad Education” Is A Masterclass From Hugh Jackman

Mon, Apr 27 2020 | Published in *NEWS, AWARDS, CELEBS, HEADLINES, MOVIES, MUSIC, REVIEWS, TV
“Bad Education” Is A Masterclass From Hugh Jackman
By: Joey Magidson

HBO is both a great and slightly regrettable home for Bad Education. When they picked up the movie out of the festival circuit, it was somewhat of a surprise. After all, the flick had gotten some strong awards buzz, especially for star Hugh Jackman. Would they really be going for potential Emmy (and Golden Globe) attention, as opposed to gunning for Oscars? Well, it appears that way, and aside from that unusual quirk, it’s undeniable that they have a quality picture on their hands. This is actually one of the better titles of the year, no matter where you actually see it.


The film is a true crime character study, looking at a massive instance of long term fraud in the affluent Long Island city of Roslyn. The school system in the town is among the best in the nation, due in no small part to the work of the Superintendent of the district, Dr. Frank Tassone (Jackman). Beloved by parents (for increasing the property value of their homes) and students (for his legitimately dedicated ) alike, Frank is the educational equivalent of a rock star. However, along with the school district’s Business Administrator, Pam Gluckin (Allison Janney), Frank has been bilking the taxpayers out of massive amounts of money. When Pam’s spot is blown, Frank throws her under the bus, in an attempt to save his own skin. Unfortunately, a suspicious Roslyn High School student and aspiring reporter Rachel Bhargava (Geraldine Viswanathan) begins to uncover his house of cards. When all is said and done, Frank and Pam, along with their friends and family, will be convicted of engaging in the single largest public school embezzlement scandal in American history, totaling more than $11 million. Cory Finley directs a script by Mike Makowsky, with cinematography by Lyle Vincent, along with a score from Michael Abels. The strong supporting cast includes Annaleigh Ashford, Kayli Carter, Rafael Casal, Pat Healy, Kathrine Narducci, Ray Romano, John Scurti, Jeremy Shamos, Stephen Spinella, Alex Wolff, and more.


Hugh Jackman and Allison Janney are excellent here, though Jackman especially shines. Both are able to hit comedic, as well as dramatic, high points, making these characters three dimensional and, if not lovable, deeply understandable crooks. Janney is a force of nature here, but what Jackman accomplishes may be the best work of his career. A winning smile, a sense of truly caring, and ample amounts of dedication shield those around him from his secrets. As they come to light and he begins trying to do damage control, the flawed individual emerges, and he’s just as compelling. It’s truly a masterclass from an incredibly talented actor.


Bad Education is equal parts, enraging, entertaining, funny, informative, and sad. The screenplay by Mike Makowsky (who was a student at the school when the actual scandal broke) is observant and smart, while Cory Finley’s direction is totally on point. The tone is so steady, mixing genres almost at will, that you get immediately sucked in. It’s not flashy, but this is rock solid work behind the camera, helping to fuel what’s accomplished by Jackman, Janney, and the rest of the cast.


HBO likely has an Emmy and Golden Globe player on their hands here, especially for Jackman, but it’s hard not to wonder what might have been, Academy Award wise. It sure seems like Jackman would have been at the very least a lock for a Best Actor nomination, and could have even been the Oscar frontrunner at this early juncture. Allison Janney would be in play for another Best Supporting Actress nomination, while a citation for the screenplay wouldn’t have been out of the question. With that combination, some talk of a Best Picture nod would have come along, too. Instead, these noms will have to come from television awards shows, which is no small potatoes, either. Still, one wonders what might have been for the movie.

Now playing on HBO, Bad Education is a real gem. A satirical look at a very real and troubling scale, this is one that’s not to be missed. Anyone with the premium channel can give it a look right now, and you really should. Hugh Jackman alone is more than worth the time commitment. This is one of the better films of the year so far, regardless of the format. What began on the festival circuit at the Toronto International Film Festival and the Sundance Film Festival now ends on the small screen, but size doesn’t matter here for this flick. It’s a standout title in 2020, plain and simple. Don’t miss this one.

Be sure to check out Bad Education, available to watch now on HBO!
(Photos courtesy of HBO)

There has been a lot of disappointment expressed that the film may not be eligible for Oscar consideration because of the TV airing for its premiere in the USA

If only the producers/financiers had more artistic goals and not financial motivation! We knew we were going to be disappointed early on after the raves coming out of Toronto … but given the near-universal acclaim for the movie and Hugh's portrayal now that it has been screened for the general public, that disappointment is now even harder to bear!

$$$$ - tsk, tsk!

Given the situation this year, where many film releases had to be delayed or went direct to streaming, will the AMPAS think that they may have to review the rules of competition?

Jo

[jo]

From Alex Billington --

www.firstshowing.net/2020/review-hugh-jackman-rocks-cory-finleys-superb-bad-education/

Review: Hugh Jackman Rocks in Cory Finley's Superb 'Bad Education'
by Alex Billington
April 27, 2020

Is there ever any good in vanity? Not really. But we never seem to learn our lesson, doomed to fall prey to the merciless grip of vanity and fame and glory and success. And it always leads us down dark paths towards dead ends, no matter what. Bad Education, directed by Cory Finley, recalls the true story of one tragic downfall of vanity. The beloved superintendent of Long Island's Roslyn school district, Frank Tassone, and some of his staff, have been grossly misusing funds provided to the public school district. Bad Education is the story of how their schemes and sneakiness was uncovered – by one intrepid student working for the school newspaper. The fictionalized feature is as outstanding as everyone has been saying since it premiered at the Toronto Film Festival last year. I'm glad to say that I loved this film, one of the best of the year so far.


Bad Education is the second film made by Cory Finley, who broke out with the underrated Thoroughbreds (which premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival). Hugh Jackman stars as Frank Tassone, and at the start, he seems innocent. He's just an educator doing his job. The big, bad embezzler is Pam Gluckin, played precisely by Allison Janney, who was even letting her sketchy relatives use the credit cards. When one of them goes on a home improvement spending spree, the rest of the execs at the school district find out and the dominoes begin to fall. Once they start looking into records, it goes from a "mere" $200,000 to millions of dollars spent and sent to mysterious companies for shady contracts. None of which are real. Then Rachel, played by Geraldine Viswanathan, starts to sniff around for her story and everything begins to unravel.

Finley's great skill as an talented filmmaker is in carefully crafting films that hook you into their narrative, without giving away everything right from the start. There are striking moments and scenes that you think mean something interesting early on, but take on a whole different meaning later once you really know what's happening. The screenplay for Bad Education, written by Mike Makowsky, is designed to make you feel some sort of sympathy for a few characters, but also cleverly constructed to shock with the truth as it continues to reveal itself. Combined with top notch performances from the entire cast, especially Jackman in a masterful multi-layered role. He is the centerpiece because, despite greed and vanity, he is still a tragic character. This really is about him, and his two-face persona. Hopefully we all learn a lesson from his story.

There's one particularly outstanding music choice at the end - Moby's "In This World". It plays over a scene that beautifully allows us, the audience, to understand Tassone with greater depth than he might even know himself. I've seen some other critics call him an evil character, but I don't agree. He is just a lonely person looking to be someone in this world, like we all are. He just let that vanity take a hold of him, and it ruined him. Forever. There are a few other knock out scenes in the second half that left me floored. The ending of this film comes together in such an impressive way with a few of these exhilarating scenes with Jackman killin' it. This is what truly terrific filmmaking is all about – establishing a compelling narrative, directing superb performances from the cast, and crafting scenes in just the right way to offer us nuanced storytelling.


Alex's Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Alex Billington was famous for being suspended to attend the Venice Film Festival because he refused to abide with the embargo imposed on movies until they have had a first public release/

[jo]

"Frank Tassone" beats "Wolverine(Logan)" in the hearts of critics!

At Rotten Tomatoes --

www.rottentomatoes.com/m/bad_education_2019#contentReviews


Critics Consensus
Anchored by an outstanding Hugh Jackman, Bad Education finds absurd laughs -- and a worthy message -- in the aftermath of a real-life scandal.


94 %
TOMATOMETER
Total Count: 78

[jo]

Vanity Fair looks at implications of the social vista laid out so well in BAD EDUCATION.

This is both a review and a social commentary piece.


www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2020/04/bad-education-class-politics-hugh-jackman?mbid=social_twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_brand=vf&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=twitter

Notes on a Scandal

The Sly Class Politics of HBO’s Bad Education

Cory Finley’s take on an infamous Long Island school embezzlement scandal, which stars Hugh Jackman and Allison Janney, has more on its mind than at first appears.
By K. Austin Collins
April 27, 2020


Cory Finley’s Bad Education, which premiered on HBO Saturday, is perceptive. It’s the story of an infamous embezzlement scandal that rocked the Roslyn, Long Island school district in the early aughts and, from the start, had the makings of a movie. Maybe a few movies.

There’s the rising, falling, and eventually shattered public image of a local do-gooder, the once-beloved suburban superintendent Frank Tassone (Hugh Jackman). There’s the story of Tassone’s secret life—not the one where he’s got a closet full of imported suits paid for on the school’s dime, but the fact that he’s a gay man with a partner of 33 years posing, at work, as a straight man with a widow. (He even has a poignant bridal photo on his desk.) Oh, and there’s the plainly astonishing fact of $11.2 million dollars of stolen taxpayer money—enough to spur the state comptroller to later intone that this event is “the largest, most remarkable, most extraordinary theft” from a school system in U.S. history.
Watch Bad Education:


Bad Education documents all of this with a verve that at times verges on satire, with all those feigned, teacherly smiles coming from the adults in the room. But the movie works best, in the end, by convincing us that these people are perfectly ordinary. Few things are more ordinary than opportunism. And even fewer things are more ordinary than the desire for status, which is what Bad Education, at its best, is about.

The movie’s main drama essentially kicks off when Roslyn High’s Rachel Bhargava (Geraldine Viswanathan), a student writing for the school newspaper, starts asking too many questions—and, simultaneously, the monetary indiscretions suddenly stop being so discreet (thanks a lot, Jimmy Tatro). But its moral center isn’t to be found in its attitude toward Frank or the money. That lies in the film’s exposure of the insidious links between “school quality” and property values. Thanks to Tassone’s stewardship—his emphasis on test scores and elite college acceptances—Roslyn’s schools are the best on Long Island’s wealthy North Shore, despite Roslyn lacking the name-wealth recognition of, say, Syosset. Yet somehow, despite those high SAT scores, Roslyn’s schools are still beset with leaks and mold. Its Harvard acceptances imply much more about wealth and how it’s managed (or not) than they do about quality of learning.

What matters to the parents of Roslyn, or at least what impresses them enough not to run screaming from the ludicrous school budget, is the high chance of sending their kids to schools like Yale, whose mascot—the Bulldogs—Roslyn just so happens to share. What’s revealed about Tassone, at the same time, isn’t that he’s a bad guy, but that he’s an incredibly, even poignantly vain one. Again, appearances. With that realization, everything falls into place—including the ways in which an otherwise well-intentioned civil servant might be led to, say, cover up for a respected colleague’s embezzlement in order to maintain a sense of status. The school’s status, that is.



Finley’s film glides with just the right amount of style, nailing a tone that shifts between the comical positivity of educators and the sad undercurrents they reveal when they rip their masks off. For anyone who applied to college in the aughts—a period which, in retrospect, feels like the start of distinctly poisonous era, as a cottage industry of advisors, writing counselors, and college application “tutors” further cemented the idea that wealth was the only reliable indicator of admissions success—Bad Education is an astute and uncomfortable return to a world in which where (or whether!) you go to college can seems to stand in for your worth. The recent college admissions scandal that rocked Southern California is, of course, a notable case in point. Smartly and with enticing implications, Bad Education suggests that Tassone is subject to the same misapprehension. His entire lifestyle—his basic self-conception—depends on it.



Does this explain Tassone’s vanity—the facial surgeries, the no-carb diet, the sincere but overt erudition? To say nothing of a subplot involving the younger exotic dancer (played by Rafael Casal) Frank has an affair with. The movie is wise to allow this romance to feel more sincere than salacious, and wiser still not to reduce these mens’ affections to a matter of Tassone’s self-absorption while also making that vanity a clear subtext to what’s going on. Thanks to Jackman’s performance and Bad Education’s multi-pronged approach, this Tassone is appreciably complicated. He’s not a hero—even before he becomes the bad guy, his easy manipulation of people through compliments and concern makes him less than faultless—but he’s also not quite a villain.


The same is true of Janney’s Gluckin, who takes the fall for the embezzlement before Tassone does. Her excesses are so much more overt and casual—but they’re more comprehensible with the added context of scenes between Gluckin and Tassone, old friends who don’t have to say what they mean for their words to have meaning. They have their secrets. Tassone’s gay life is one; the embezzlement is another.


But they also have their reasons. Finley’s approach to this story can be summarized, in part, by an astute line from the Robert Kolker article from which it was adapted: “Being the head of a wealthy school system is a little like being the headwaiter at Alain Ducasse. You’re at the top of your profession, but at the end of the day, you’re still a waiter.” In the end, the pair’s justification for their crimes, convincing or not, matters much less than the plain reality of status—and the cost paid by people who lack it.

Toronto Film Festival
Hugh Jackman Transforms Yet Again in the Fascinating Bad Education
Perhaps the world’s greatest showman gives another gripping performance in this fall festival standout.
By Richard Lawson

[jo]

And the original Vanity Fair review of BAD EDUCATION from the Toronto filmfest --

Sept 9, 2019 19:13:40 GMT -5 jo said:

From VANITY FAIR --

Toronto Film Festival

Hugh Jackman Transforms Yet Again in the Fascinating Bad Education
Perhaps the world’s greatest showman gives another gripping performance in a festival standout.

By Richard Lawson
September 9, 2019

Courtesy of the Toronto International Film Festival




Twenty-five years into a fascinatingly varied career, it’s still a thrill to see __Hugh Jackman__try something new. Or, at least to give his famous charisma a different shade. Last year, Jackman went relatively minimalist in the political downfall drama The Front Runner, a sharp, underseen diagram of fatal stubbornness. This year, Jackman turns up the charm a little—while lathering it in a thin coat of smarm—for Bad Education, a tidy and engrossing corruption drama that premiered here at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sunday.


A detailing of a real-life embezzlement scandal in a Long Island school district, Bad Education allows Jackman to explore the profundity in the petty. As far as financial crimes in America go, former Roslyn school district superintendent Frank Tassone’s theft was relatively minor. (He did steal millions, though.) And yet, there was so much existential squirm behind his actions, this movie suggests, so much want and insecurity and indignant entitlement. It makes for a gripping character study, one that Jackman delves into with his usual full-bodied commitment. Though the once beloved Tassone prided himself on his appearance, his fancy suits and slicked back hair and surgically tightened face, there’s nothing glamorous about the role. It’s an ugly thing, Tassone’s sneaky desperation, the way he launders his misdeeds in self-righteousness.

A lesser actor might play all this with too broad a version of pathetic villainy, figuring all of Tassone’s stated good intentions—he really cared about the kids, he swears—just another part of the elaborate lie. But Jackman does as a trained actor should and operates from the truth of the character; he plays what Tassone believes. Which makes the downward arc of the movie that much more interesting. Jackson(sic) makes our sympathies fluid, so it's much easier to ride the subtle undulations of the movie. We learn with it, just as its characters do.



Bad Education is slow to reveal what it’s really about, first immersing us in the quotidian world of Tassone’s work life. He meets with the school board, offers encouraging advice to students (he knows them all by name), and shares in a few conspiratorial laughs with his second in command, Pam Gluckin. (A co-conspirator played with palpable credibility by Allison Janney.) The world of Bad Education is small, banal even, despite Tassone’s swanning presence. Bit by bit, though, Bad Education takes a larger narrative shape, a carefully meted out progression of little things that mount and mount into a local catastrophe.

The film’s pacing is a neat reflection of how such a crime might be born—just a trickle at first. That parallel is a credit to Mike Makowsky’s sharp, thoughtful script and to Cory Finley’s direction. Finley is the other interesting personality here. He’s a playwright turned director whose first feature was the 2017 Sundance curio Thoroughbreds. Nasty and arch and brimming with style, that promising debut suggested something about Finley that he totally upends with Bad Education.

Finley eschews all of Thoroughbreds adornment and wisely takes a quiet, measured tack befitting of Bad Education’s script. Shooting on film, Finley captures a grainy kind of drear, an everyday plainness, that lends the film a crucial veracity. (This also helps locate the film in the past; 2002, specifically.) It’s patient filmmaking, carefully designed, but humble. Finley honors the script and his actors by getting out of the way, gently applying his artistry instead of making Jackman and company perform for it.


There’s a somewhat major plot point in Bad Education that I’d like to discuss here, but if you’re unfamiliar with the real story and want to go into the film unaware, turn away now.




As the film’s portrait of Tassone and his lies gains texture and depth, we’re gradually clued into just how much of a secret life this shifty man is leading. Specifically, we learn that Tassone is gay, and that he keeps that part of his life painfully private. At least I think it’s pain I see in Jackman’s eyes, as Tassone pursues a former student he runs into on a business trip. But I don’t think that pain is about him being gay, really. It’s more to do with Tassone’s—or, this movie’s version of Tassone—recognition that he’s addicted to doing furtive things, to subverting his good public standing. Desire is so often a secret, its realization more satisfying when there’s little outside air to spoil it.

Jackman and Finley communicate this self-destructive complexity with a compassionate clarity. Tassone is a sneak and a liar and maybe worse. But his ache is real. Bad Education (which honestly isn’t a great title for this movie) is an arresting, nuanced depiction of insatiable want, of the bitter fact that reaching for things is often more instinctual, more human, than holding on to what we’ve already got. I love that Bad Education takes this sorry little story so seriously. The film’s quiet desperation accumulates around Frank Tassone like a snowdrift, slowly piling up until he’s buried in it. Or maybe he was buried already. People just didn’t notice until he came for their money.

[jo]

From The Wrap --

www.thewrap.com/bad-education-did-frank-tassone-really-buy-a-house-with-a-secret-out-of-town-boyfriend/

‘Bad Education': Did Frank Tassone Really Buy a House With a Secret Out-of-Town Boyfriend?

One of the film’s more compelling subplots involves Tassone’s long-distance relationship with one Kyle Contreras
Phil Owen | April 27, 2020 @ 2:58 PM

HBO
(Spoilers ahead for the HBO film “Bad Education” starring Hugh Jackman. Yes, it’s based on a true story, but if the thing we’re talking about isn’t true then it’s a spoiler)

“Bad Education” is out now on HBO, and it tells the story of Frank Tassone (Hugh Jackman), a charming school superintendent in the Roslyn school district on Long Island, New York, who went to prison a decade and a half ago for embezzling millions of dollars of school funds. Tassome didn’t go down alone, of course — assistant superintendent Pam Gluckin (played here by Allison Janney) actually stole more money than Tassone did.

It’s a compelling narrative for a movie, and HBO’s rendition of those events in the early aughts skews closer to the true story than most based-on-a-true-story films do. That should certainly come as no surprise once you realize that “Bad Education” was written by Mike Makowsky, who was a student at the Roslyn middle school at the time of the scandal.


As the story goes, Tassone and Gluckin had been embezzling funds to support fairly extravagant lifestyles. Gluckin, for example, had three homes, including one in Florida, and drove a Jaguar. Tassone spent the money he stole in his own variety of frivolous ways, like cosmetic surgeries and expensive suits — not to mention tens of thousands of dollars in dry-cleaning bills.

Both Tassone and Gluckin eventually set up fake companies that would bill the school district for services they didn’t deliver, and employed their significant others in doing so. Tassone had set up one of these shell companies, a fake printing company called WordPower, in his longtime partner’s Manhattan apartment.


In one of the more poignant arcs in “Bad Education,” Tassone has a random encounter in Nevada with a former student from his district, Kyle Contreras (Rafael Casal), who has been working as a bartender and an exotic dancer. Contreras becomes Tassone’s side piece, basically, though the film indicates he was legitimately in love with Contreras. Shortly after it starts to come to light that Gluckin had stolen school funds, Tassone calls Contreras just because, he says, he wanted to hear his voice.


In “Bad Education,” once Gluckin is charged with embezzlement, Tassone quits his job and runs to Contreras, and it’s there in Nevada where we see him get arrested.



It’s a solid arc, but it definitely has the whiff of the sort of subplot that could have been an embellishment. So let’s fact check this real quick. Did Tassone really have this secret boyfriend in Nevada?

The answer is yes, though the character’s name was changed for the film. In real life, Tassone used some of his embezzled funds to buy a house with one Jason Daugherty in Henderson, Nev. The full details of the relationship aren’t clear, however, because Daugherty has generally tried to stay out of the spotlight of this scandal.

The real Tassone would regularly use FedEx, on the school district’s dime, to send Daugherty packages. In fact, a clerk in the district said he sent those packages weekly from when Gluckin was forced to retire to a year later when everything came to light.

And yes, when the real Tassone was in Henderson when he was arrested by the local police. In its news brief about the arrest, the Las Vegas Sun went so far as to refer to Tassone as a “Henderson resident” after he retired from the Roslyn school district.

So yeah, “Bad Education” definitely gets the broad strokes correct on this topic. But the more specific stuff about Contreras might be original to the film, since even today there isn’t much publicly known about Daugherty. But that’s okay — this whole bit very effectively humanizes Tassone even while the film is breaking him down.

Interesting!

In one surprising scene for me when Frank turned up unexpectedly at the LasVegas property where Kyle was living -- take a look at Frank! "I'm here!" with the broadest smile, Jackman-like! He looked delighted to be finally home, as if the impending doom brought on by the uncovering of his malfeasance did not matter any more. As if he was opting now for the simpler life, also shedding his longtime partner with the man he seemed to have fallen in love with. I did wonder if it was the romantic attraction...or did Kyle ( a fictional character, but supposedly based on a younger man who was linked to Frank) represented a new life for him - free from the pressure of endlessly promoting the interests of Roslyn High and the Roslyn community...maybe free for a while from the full uncovering of his crime? Did you hear him tell the sleepy Kyle right before Frank was apprehended in the car that he had provided $ 30 K for him which he left in a drawer?

Jo

[jo]

This review is refreshing -- focusing mainly on the character study of Frank Tassone, and how the events and his increasingly disturbing behavior each form a part of the puzzle!

letterboxd.com/westhelara/film/bad-education-2019/

Letterboxd — Your life in film

Bad Education 2019 ★★★★½
Watched Apr 27, 2020
Wesley Casillas-Lara’s review published on Letterboxd:


Sociopaths are an interesting case study and incredibly hard to pry into. What's beneath that smiling face of a trusted authority figure? An authentic love for doing the right thing? A monster with no remorse for their actions? Is it a complicated mix of all of the above? It's hard to know for sure and each case differs, but the case made for the main character of Cory Finley's Bad Education cleverly walks a tightrope between sympathy and hatred for the situation. Both are valid reactions to the insanity of the film and its real-life counterpart, making a seemingly straightforward crime drama all the more diluted by the one of the most messy domino effects put in a film in quite some time.

The first domino begins to wobble when ambitious student journalist, Rachel (Geraldine Viswanathan in another powerhouse performance) is tasked with writing a piece for the school newspaper. Initially, it's just a puff piece for the school, but the charming superintendent, Frank Tassone (Hugh Jackman in arguably his best work since Prisoners) pushes her to think outside of the box and write something bold and hard-hitting. Little does he know that this innocuous piece of advice will be one of the contributing factors to the downfall of several prominent members of the Roslyn School Board, who are guilty of embezzling an astonishing amount of money from the school funds in what is now called the largest school embezzlement in American history.

Cory Finley's follow-up to his amazing debut feature, Thoroughbreds, tackles a story that is uniquely complicated in both fiction and real life, with many players serving a different role with their own motivations. The main star of this beautiful shit show is Frank Tassone, who has built up a reputation for being one of the most friendly and upbeat people around. He recognizes students, their families, what they want to major in, etc. He is the type of person we would likely go to for help, with Frank always willing to lend a hand. Over the course of the story and the domino effect beginning to take place, Frank's facade slowly crumbles, revealing the sight of a man with deep-rooted insecurities. But despite this information being revealed, it's truly hard to tell what's happening in his mind. Where as in other films feel reluctant to restrain themselves in the cases of these characters, Mike Makowski's sharp script relishes in the mystery behind Frank. He's clearly able to recognize wrongdoings, but can he accept responsibility? Does he even feel like he need sit take responsibility?




Hugh Jackman takes the baton of this character and just takes off. Jackman brings soul to the seemingly empty core of Frank's heart, letting us identify Frank as a complicated human rather than a stereotypically greedy villain. Our time alone with Frank dares us to sympathize with a person we would likely call a piece of shit in real life and chances are some may walk away from the film with that assertion. Not to say it isn't deserved, but Finley's meticulously delicate direction allows room for introspection. Frank is a complex human, making this just as much a character study as it is a crime drama. This is very much a Wolf of Wall Street situation, though I'd argue that Bad Education vastly succeeds the other in terms of a genuine character drama.


After Thoroughbreds, I had a fear that with a bigger budget, Cory Finley's style would lose its charm and personality by the sophomore feature, but Finley makes the appropriate adjustments to compliment the different story. It's not quite as nightmarish as his first film, but Finley's softer use of camera movements (big ups to cinematographer Lyle Vincent) feel less like him toning down his style and more of Finley being careful with his directing. Practically every shot feels purposeful in its execution and walking away from the film, I get the sense that we are dealing with a true master of the craft. Mike Makowski's script certainly didn't hurt either, taking a fine comb and rustling through a tangly situation to find the humanity in it all, beautifully realized by Cory's masterful interpretation of it.

Some might view its home at HBO Max to be a curse, feeling that it deserves its time in a theatrical release. I strongly agree, but with HBO remaining one of the most popular aspects of home entertainment, I feel incredibly optimistic about Bad Education receiving even more eyes and propelling the young talent to new heights. An amazing movie with perhaps some of the most human moments in cinema this past year. It's hard to think so when the main character of the story is a possible sociopath, but by film's end, we are left not with a burning hatred of Frank (at least partially for some people), but a tragic realization of what could've been. It always starts with something small.

[jo]

From a student campus paper --


dailycampus.com/stories/2020/4/28/review-hugh-jackman-plays-a-conniving-superintendent-in-hbos-bad-educationnbsp

[jo]

An insightful review --

www.thrillist.com/entertainment/nation/bad-education-review-true-story

Entertainment
'Bad Education' Turns a Real-Life School Embezzlement Scandal Into a Gripping Black Comedy
The HBO movie might also be Hugh Jackman's best performance ever.

By Emma StefanskyPublished on 4/28/2020 at 11:59 AM

HBO
Once an American school district reaches a certain level of student test scores and Ivy League acceptance, combined with a general level of wealth amongst its population, things start to get interesting. Roslyn High School, the setting of HBO's newest film Bad Education, directed by Cory Finley and written by Roslyn alum Mike Makowsky, operates within one of Long Island's richest districts, constantly competing against the other swanky high schools populated by all the other children from families who live in McMansions and keep beach houses in the Hamptons. Being an administrator of such a school is no joke, and district superintendent Frank Tassone had made a name for himself as one of the best, rocketing Roslyn's student body to ever-higher reaches of achievement while introducing newer, modern additions to the school infrastructure, making it an ever-more desirable place for Long Island residents to send their kids. And then, in 2002, he found himself at the center of the biggest public school embezzlement scandal in American history.


Tassone (played by Hugh Jackman in a performance that has been described as "career best," and I'd be inclined to agree) is not just respected by his colleagues, underlings, students, and their parents; he's beloved. He's the man who turned their school into a utopia, made their students higher achievers, got them into the best colleges around, and renovated the palatial campus to nothing short of enviable. In fact, he's been heavily lobbying for funding for a new addition, a glittering aboveground "Skywalk" that will connect the wing of one building to another. It's this very Skywalk that gets one particular student, steely-eyed Rachel Bhargava (Blockers' Geraldine Viswanathan), interested in writing a piece about the subject, and when she digs through the school's long-buried financial records, she finds evidence of discrepancy upon discrepancy, extravagant charges made with school money that don't seem to have anything to do with the actual school at all. On top of everything, Roslyn's leaky ceiling is threatening to cave in: with all the money being spent on "fixing" the school, why has no one paid any attention to… fixing the school?


It's her report, which is published by the school newspaper, the Hilltop Beacon, that brings everything crashing down around Tassone and his colleague Pam Gluckin (Allison Janney, with a delightfully rich Long Island drawl). He throws Gluckin under the bus, seemingly to keep her financial scandal from going public (making lavish purchases on the school card, tsk tsk), but it's mostly to protect himself and the more impressive amount of money he had been siphoning off the school funds for years. What follows is a strikingly entertaining and extremely blackly comedic retelling of the craziest true story you'll ever hear about employees of a public school almost making off with nearly $8 million.


Jackman, with his hair slicked aggressively back and his suits immaculately pressed, one hand always clutching an evil-looking charcoal drink, plays Tassone with a distinct style and an absolutely fascinating empathy. Tassone is the villain of the story in every capacity except for the fact that he's also the main character, and Bad Education, which initially premiered at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival, switches halfway through from a gleeful true-crime recounting to an unexpectedly mournful character study. Particularly fun (and then achingly sad) to watch is Tassone's jovial camaraderie with Gluckin turn instantly sour as their house of cards starts to topple.


The details of the crime and its court proceedings were written about everywhere from the local papers to the New York Times, but Bad Education takes most of its inspiration from Robert Kolker's riveting 2004 New York Magazine article "The Bad Superintendent," which chronicles the fall of Tassone and his legacy. Liberties were taken with the film, of course. Roslyn's Skywalk already existed before the scandal, but the film uses it as an example of the school's excessive spending; in reality, it was the leaky ceilings which incited the original investigation. Bhargava's character was an invention, and there was obviously no confrontation between her and Tassone in real life, but she is a composite meant to represent the various reports that came out in the school's newspaper that first alerted people to the incident. The charges that initially alerted the school's auditor to spending discrepancies were made by Pam Gluckin's son (played with hysterical goofiness by American Vandal's Jimmy Tatro), but they were purchases from a Home Depot, not an Ace Hardware as depicted in the film.


The true story, at times, even borders on the salacious. Aside from dipping his hands into his school's coffers for years, Tassone was revealed to have been living with another man in an apartment in Manhattan, at an address which he'd faked on the school's financial records to appear as a word processing company. Aside from even that, he had also bought a house with another man, an exotic dancer who, in the film, he met on a work trip. It's Jackman's final scenes with his younger partner, a character based on his real-life boyfriend and played by Rafael Casal, that are the most emotionally affecting, a last dance in a gay club to Moby's "In This World" as the feds snatch up Tassone's colleagues one by one. Bad Education didn't even need to handle its material with such deftness and grace, and could have been content with just delighting in the true crime of it all, but that's the kind of thing that turns a good movie into a great one.

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Emma Stefansky is a staff entertainment writer at Thrillist. Follow her on Twitter @stefabsky.

[jo]

www.wearemoviegeeks.com/2020/04/bad-education-review/

Review
BAD EDUCATION – Review
By Movie Geeks | April 28, 2020

BAD EDUCATION can currently be viewed on HBO
Review by Stephen Tronicek

If the standard of a great scene is one where you can watch the external action and see everything going on within the internal life of the characters, then every scene in Cory Finley’s sophomore feature, Bad Education, is a great one. Whether it be the cast, the editing, the direction, or the sound, what Finley’s debut feature, Thoroughbreds was missing in subtlety Bad Education has in spades. It’s one of the most satisfying films over the year.

Admittedly, Bad Education is the type of story you can’t help but fall in love with. Follows the true story of the investigation of a huge embezzlement scheme at Roslyn High School in 2002, perpetrated by Frank Tassone (Hugh Jackman) and Pam Gluckin (Allison Janney), uncovered by a student at Roslyn who “followed the money,” (Geraldine Viswanathan). It’s the type of story that prioritizes character and craft over the stylistic trappings of Thoroughbreds.

The pared-down, realistic style of Bad Education is immediately useful to the storytelling. Everything feels so business as usual, that Finley and scriptwriter Mike Makowsky are able to hide so many pieces of information in specific details. It’s a film that asks the audience to figure it out.

It also serves to be familiar, to anyone who has stepped foot inside of a public school. There’s a quiet tension to the way that human flaws are sitting beneath the professionalism of the environment and all that paper. So much paper just rotting away. Bad Education thrives on details like this, the camera focusing on a waterlogged ceiling or a modern art painting hanging on a wall it shouldn’t be on.



Similarly, Bad Education is focused on the details of a character’s face and how much of the face we can see. Early in the film, Frank and Pam are shot from behind, later they are seen in profile, and lastly, devastatingly, they are seen straight on. Jackman and Janney take those close-ups and run with them. They are so good, very specific line readings will become lodged in your head, so illuminating of the characters that they transcend the physical action of the scene. It’s not just Jackman and Janney though. Viswanathan is incredible, Ray Romano continues his fantastic career renaissance in a small role and Hari Dhillon shines in a few scenes as Viswanathan’s father. There’s such kindness to their scenes together that contrasts brilliantly with the pitch black storytelling (on that note watch out for the smoothie Jackman is drinking).

When all of this detail comes together, it’s pretty much unstoppable. There’s a scene near the beginning of the second act where Viswanathan’s student reporter speaks to Allison Janney, that is so excellently crafted from all the parties involved that it becomes a wonderful surprise that the film is only getting started.You’d be hard-pressed to find a better film than Bad Education right now. It’s a wonderful reminder that films like this can not only still be made but also excelled at. As much as the trailers might suggest, this isn’t a funny film. There’s no element of ironic wit to be found here. Just true to life wit that takes its characters and craft seriously.


4 1/2 of 5 Stars

[jo]

Questioning why a film this good (Rating : A- ) and performances this exceptional have been relegated to HBO!



thefilmexperience.net/blog/2020/4/29/review-bad-education.html

« Doc Corner: Tribeca Film Festival x4 | Main | Irrfan Khan (1967-2020) »
Review: Bad Education
Wednesday, April 29, 2020 at 5:00PM

by Tony Ruggio

Filmmaker Cory Finley is fast becoming an auteur. That much is clear, and more, when watching his second directorial effort Bad Education, a great film unfortunately relegated to the streaming fringes of HBO. A film this good would’ve been poised to make a bigger splash with Netflix or Amazon, as well as contend for Oscars over Emmys.

Hugh Jackman gives the best performance of his career as Frank Tassone, a Long Island area school district superintendent who in the early aughts, along with district business manager Pamela Gluckin (Allison Janney) and others, embezzled millions of dollars from school funds to support their lavish lifestyles...

Finley has a knack for cultural minutiae, for exploring a particularly egregious brand of upper-class suburban entitlement. Bad Education and his wickedly funny debut feature Thoroughbreds are both about bad behavior born out of insecurity, sociopathy, boredom, and greed in the northeastern United States. Written by Mike Makowsky, a middle school student in Roselyn, NY at the time of the scandal, the film seeks to unpack the assorted pressures and personality flaws that led otherwise everyday do-gooders to resort to defrauding the very people and students they had committed their lives to serving. It’s also a low-key celebration of the power of investigative journalism, even in the hands of a small school outlet.


A sophomore and writer for the Roselyn student paper, Rachel Bhargava (Geraldine Viswanathan) is taught by folks like Tassone to strive for greater ends. So that’s exactly what she does when called to report on the school’s much-ballyhooed Skywalk construction project, a possible fluff piece that snowballs into an investigation when Pamela Gluckin arrogantly hands her the keys to the kingdom’s budget archives. Gluckin, played with condescending panache by Janney, spends most of her spoils on home improvements designed to increase her family’s property value. For six years I worked for a company that provided services to cities and school districts around the country. If there’s one thing I learned about those who call these affluent neighborhoods home, it’s that people will do and say anything to raise or retain their property values.

Through meetings with school board president Bob Spicer (an amusingly daft Ray Romano), who never misses an opportunity to lather praise for Tassone’s work, it’s clear what has prompted the surreptitious behavior: upward mobility. The town’s reputation and value was built on the quality of its schools, on good grades, high graduation hosannas, and college attendance rates. Accident and entitlement may have led Tassone, Gluckin, and co. to steal at first, but it was pride and local ego that led them to continue doing so and ultimately to cover it up.


Jackman has never been better or more alive on screen as Frank, a natural-born liar and man of many needs that go way above his pay grade. He believes he deserves more than what is owed to him, that his legal pittance isn’t enough to pay him back for years of “servitude” to the parents and their children. He and the rest are what happens when you take an understandable and often just sentiment like “educators should be paid more” and run with it till it fosters greed and bleeds American green. In one scene, a routine meeting with a single parent and her intellectually-challenged son turns ugly and revealing, not only of Tassone’s nature but also the depth of Jackman’s performance.

A monologue about race cars is the stuff of Oscar clip history, and one stirring scene in a nightclub where Frank loosens up and finally, fully embraces his true self in public ensures we never forget the insecurities nor the inhibitions that drive him. A final moment that breaks reality and provides a window into his psyche uses all of the stylistic hallmarks that set apart Thoroughbreds: tracking shots, foreboding music or sound, and compassionate storytelling. Finley’s craft and Jackman’s talent force us to reckon with the guy’s humanity, even in the face of so many bad deeds. Bad Education is not limited in scope, nor is it a film of slight importance. It’s a film for our current Fraud-ed Age. I would’ve preferred an Oscar run, but here’s hoping it’s not forgotten at the Emmys. A-

FilmExperience is run or used to be run by Nathaniel Rodgers. It provided a good forum for exchange of views and bits of inside info.

Sample --

If this movie is as good as everyone says it is, why would the producers sell it to HBO instead of a studio and opt for a theatrical release? The subject matter and star power seems to indicate it would have been a big hit.
I think I also remember reading somewhere that the big names involved with the movie were disappointed when the deal with HBO as well.
April 29, 2020 | MDA

@mda - HBO offered almost $20 million to acquire it. I would seriously think about that too, with that kind of money involved.
April 29, 2020 | starlit

Another film denied to theaters. so sad indeed
April 29, 2020 | adri

[jo]

From THE SATURDAY EVENING POST --


www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2020/04/review-bad-education-movies-for-the-rest-of-us-with-bill-newcott/

April 30, 2020 Culture, Movies, Movies for the Rest of Us

Review: Bad Education — Movies for the Rest of Us with Bill Newcott

Hugh Jackman stars as charismatic school superintendent Frank Tassone, who presided over the single largest public school embezzlement scandal in U.S. history.

Bill Newcott

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Bad Education (On HBO)
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Run Time: 1 hour 48 minutes

Rating: TV-MA
Stars: Hugh Jackman, Allison Janney, Ray Romano
Writer: Mike Makowsky
Director: Cory Finley

Hugh Jackman has made just four movies in the past three years, and with each passing performance he is proving himself to be perhaps the most multifaceted actor working today.


Think about it: in 2017’s Logan he rewrote the book on bringing authentic intensity to a super hero character. The following year his Broadway musical chops singlehandedly saved The Greatest Showman. A few months later he triumphed as the brilliant yet infuriatingly haughty, self-destructive presidential candidate Gary Hart in The Front Runner.


There’s a touch of Hart in Frank Tassone, the guy Jackman plays in his latest film, Bad Education. For one thing, both men are real-life figures who plummeted from rock star-like status to pariah in less time than it took for them to comb their perfectly coiffed hair. And both were brought to their ends largely by their misplaced sense of indestructability.

But while Hart merely took himself down, Tassone was something of a human neutron bomb. As superintendent of schools in the tony Long Island bedroom community of Roslyn during the early 2000s, Tassone was lionized for raising the formerly middling school district to national elite status. But his legion of fans didn’t realize he was also presiding over the single largest public school embezzlement scandal in U.S. history.

What did Frank Tassone know, and when did he know it? Peeling the layers off that onion is just one of the great delights of Mike Makowsky’s script. What’s more, Makowsky, who wrote last year’s utterly brilliant but little-seen I Think We’re Alone Now, was born to write this screenplay: He was a middleschooler in Roslyn at the time his superintendent was led off in cuffs.


Jackman is in full can’t-take-your-eyes-off-him mode as Tassone, blinding students, faculty, and board of education members alike with his dazzling charm, impossibly chiseled features, and a smile that could guide the space shuttle in for a landing. One of the fun tricks of Bad Education is how Tassone checks off every box in everyone’s fantasy of the Hero Educator, and then some: He has memorized the names and interests of each kid in the district. He leaves his office door open to absolutely anyone with a problem. He even leads a community book club.

So what if Frank’s suits seem a tad too well tailored? And who cares that he’s obviously been having some work done on his face? And where does he live? Somewhere in Manhattan? Eh — better to focus on those SAT scores.

Everyone is happy until Frank’s top deputy (Allison Janney, cinema’s reigning supporting MVP) gets caught using district funds to redo her beach house — and by the way, how can she afford a beach house in the first place? Before long a reporter on the high school’s newspaper (doe-eyed Geraldine Viswanathan) is nosing through boxes of receipts as the administrators look warily over her shoulder.



By the time we’re into the second half of the film, the masks begin to slip. Even as the millions of missing dollars add up, the school board scrambles to hide the larceny lest the school’s reputation suffers — and local real estate values plunge. Ray Romano is in fine form as the school board president, at first struggling with his conscience yet ultimately deciding to let the whole thing slide.

To a point, that is. Eventually even those who didn’t gain one dime from the scam find their lives and reputations heading to permanent detention.

Second-time director Cory Finley (Thoroughbreds) deftly walks that caper film tightrope, allowing us to enjoy the company of scoundrels while never asking us to identify with them. He falters only once, near the final fadeout, when Frank finds himself face-to-face with a helicopter mom who has been dogging him from the start, demanding her son’s placement in an advanced course where he clearly does not belong.

With his upbeat, can-do reputation in tatters, Frank finally tears into the woman the way he’s clearly always wanted to. He berates her as one of “the people who trot their poor children out like race horses at Belmont.”


“Do you remember the teachers who held you by the hand? Do their names escape you? Are their faces a blur? You might forget, but we don’t. We never forget. Ever.”


It’s a fantastic speech, and Jackson seems ready to explode with anguish as he delivers it. But Frank doesn’t deserve that speech. Because while he may never have forgotten his students, he’s absolutely forgotten what it means to be accountable to them.


More fitting is the final shot: Frank’s face fills the screen, deep wrinkles finally claiming the territory he defended so fiercely for so long with other people’s money. He tries to flash that winning grin, the one that fooled everyone…even himself. But it doesn’t stay. It can’t stay.

In the end, the face of Frank Tassone is a skull wrapped in thin, nearly transparent skin.

Featured image: Scene from Bad Education (HBO)

[jo]

Well-thought out discussion of the merits of the movie!

Reviewer rated the movie at 8.5 of 10!

[jo]

From a review from Mexico posted on RTomatoes --

www.cinepremiere.com.mx/bad-education-critica.html



Excerpts --

Let's get our mud spots right. While it's true that the story Bad Education is based on is intriguing, performances by Hugh Jackman and Allison Janney bring the film to levels that are usually only found in award-winning season film productions or film festivals. Not for nothing this film was presented at the last Toronto Film Festival where it was acquired by HBO.

[jo]

From top critic Richard Roeper ( Chicago Sun Times) --


chicago.suntimes.com/2020/4/24/21231234/bad-education-review-hugh-jackman-hbo-allison-janney-movie-roslyn-school-frank-tassone

‘Bad Education’: Hugh Jackman a class act as school system’s thieving boss

He and Allison Janney, playing the real-life superintendent’s equally lawless aide, bring their A-game to HBO’s darkly funny movie.

By Richard Roeper Apr 24, 2020, 9:00am CDT


Hugh Jackman and Allison Janney play corrupt school administrators in “Bad Education.” HBO

Frank Tassone was the closest thing to a rock star you’ll ever see in the field of school administration.
As the superintendent for New York’s Roslyn School District in the 1990s and early 2000s, Tassone was a commanding, charismatic figure who always wore spiffy suits, tooled about in a Mercedes, knew the names of nearly every teacher and parent and student, and basked in the adoration of the community. They worshipped Tassone because he spearheaded the district’s ascent to become one of the top public school systems in the country — which led to meteoric rises in property values as families flocked to the area so their kids could get the kind of education that leads to admission to Ivy League schools

Only a few problems. As budget requests soared, school structures remained in disrepair. The roof leaked — in multiple places. Some of the contracting firms billing the district for hundreds of thousands of dollars seemed … shady. And while Frank played the part of the grieving widower, talked lovingly of his deceased wife and kept their wedding photo in his office, he was actually living a double life.

‘Bad Education’
: 3.5 out of 4

HBO Films presents a film directed by Cory Finley and written by Mike Makowsky, based on an article by Robert Kolker. Premieres at 7 p.m. Saturday on HBO and available on HBO On Demand, HBO NOW and HBO GO.

Wait. Make that a triple life.

The surreal story of the Roslyn school district embezzlement scandal caused a media sensation nearly 20 years ago, and it’s now the focus of “Bad Education,” a darkly funny and cleverly conceived HBO original movie debuting Saturday. Based on a screenplay by Mike Makowsky (a Roslyn middle school student in the mid-2000s) and directed with a keen attention to detail and pacing by Cory Finley, this is a stylized take on real-life events, in the vein of “American Hustle” and “The Big Short” and “I, Tonya.” You don’t know whether to laugh or shake your head at the outrageous antics of Tassone and others, and even though you know the basic framework of the story is based on solid truth, some of the more audacious acts of corruption are still hard to believe.


Hugh Jackman has long been one of our most versatile actors, and he adds a sparkling entry to his resume with his performance as the preening, charming, narcissistic Tassone, who for all his faults and double-dealings seems to have a real talent for inspiring teachers and students to new heights, and a genuine connection with educators and children alike. When a worried parent shows up at the office with her son, who appears to be on the spectrum and is falling behind his classmates, Tassone connects with the boy in a sincere and effective fashion. Boy he’s good.


Allison Janney turns in Emmy-level work as Tassone’s second-in-command, one Pam Gluckin, who’s like walking sandpaper compared to Tassone’s silky smooth style. Gluckin can cut you to ribbons with her blunt, Long Island-accented speaking style, and she really doesn’t give a bleep what anyone but Tassone thinks about her. She’s fiercely loyal to the boss and winces in sympathy for the guy as he downs charcoal-infused drinks for his health. (Every time Tassone takes a sip and winces, it’s as if he’s ingesting his own toxic corruption.)


Overcoming an intrusive and unnecessarily cutesy score, “Bad Education” lays out the seriocomic events in entertaining fashion. Tassone takes the Concorde on an overseas trip, jets off to Vegas, runs up dry cleaning bills on his tailored suits and even gets a little nip-tuck plastic surgery to keep his appearance fresh. Gluckin hosts parties at her lavish waterfront home in the Hamptons. Nobody seems to care or question how these two can be enjoying such extravagant lifestyles on glorified teachers’ salaries. Nobody questions why the roof keeps leaking despite all those huge budget requests for repairs. Nobody asks why a contractor billing the district for hundreds of thousands a year has a listed address that’s actually a posh apartment on the Upper East Side. What really matters is the Roslyn school district is ranked fourth in the entire nation.

Things start to unravel when Gluckin puts her idiot son in charge of remodeling her home, and he runs up enormous bills at home improvement stores while using a school district credit card. Meanwhile, an industrious student journalist (Geraldine Viswanthan) is pounding the pavement and diving deep into public receipts and records indicating a clear pattern of corruption. (In real life, it was indeed a scoop in the school’s own student paper that led the big media to the Roslyn story.)

Ray Romano turns in another stellar post-sitcom performance as the school board president, who can’t get a handle on the breathtaking scope of the corruption that happened under his watch and makes all the wrong moves in trying to stem the tide. Still, we share his frustration with Tassone, who to the very end has a way of turning things around and making it seem like he’s the real victim. Jackman does a magnificent job of portraying a man who has been lying so long on so many fronts, even he isn’t sure of the truth any longer.

[jo]

Interesting review!

He's questioning the storyline, which is based on a true event and how they are handled in the script. He seems to want to rewrite the movie


4outof5.reviews/film/2020/4/30/bad-education-review

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Bad Education - Review
Finally, someone wrote good words for good actors!

Bad Education consistently proved my expectations wrong, with a central performance from Hugh Jackman that’s bound to alert those who have been awaiting his next (first?) knockout dramatic role. The bad bits creep in toward the end, but they’re hard to notice in the face of Jackman’s mile-wide grin, and a competent script that juggles multiple angles with impressive precision.


Following the story of the largest public school embezzlement in history, Bad Education begins with a hero. Dr. Frank Tassone (Jackman) is District Supervisor for several Long Island public schools, but his pride is Roslyn High School. The film opens with Tassone walking through an unlit school hall, fixing his shirt and pushing back his military-cut black hair; he’s accepting an award for getting Roslyn to the #4 ranking of all public schools in America. A title card lands on top of Jackman as he smiles, accepting the warmth from the crowd, a feeling of desperation already apparent from his nervous march through the hall. Tassone’s face is presentational, a symbol of rising numbers and succeeding students, and Jackman steps into it almost too easily. For a while it seems like Tassone actually is all the things the school board and parents say he is, but when a crisis comes in the form of a co-worker’s erratic spending habits, his trustworthiness is tested.

Pam Gluckin (Allison Janney), a district employee like Tassone, is found to have embezzled at least $250,000 from Roslyn, and the fallout is severe. As the pace picks up, Janney is placed in her comfort zone of “woman pulled in 100 different directions.” Gluckon’s son, American Vandal’s Jimmy Tatro, is using her Roslyn credit card to buy thousands of dollars of building equipment, while a student reporter at Roslyn starts to uncover a history of obscene spending. News breaks, and Tassone and the board meet to discuss Gluckin’s future. She has to go, but there needs to be a reason that can’t reflect poorly on the school or attract media attention. In a spectacular scene, Tassone and the board crowd into the corner of a small office, Gluckin on the other side of the room, and deliver her the news. She’s a sick woman, they say, and must retire immediately to tend to her “sociopathic” tendencies. Gluckin is teary-eyed and furious, looking to Tassone for support, but finding none. In recent years, Janney has been recognized for her ability to act in a single mode: the cruel abuser, the sarcastic mother; Bad Education provides her with a handful of scenes that begin with rage and end with true, well-earned tears. She’s as dynamic as she’s ever been, which makes it all the more odd that the film moves on after her retirement, focusing exclusively on Tassone and the student reporter.


Written by Mike Makowsky, who was a student at Roslyn during the scandal, the film never obviously misfires, but it takes a few narrative directions that are more confusing than revealing. For example: Tassone, predictably, is indicted in the embezzlement scheme as well, and turned on by his closest confidants. As his meltdown is taking place, Tassone delivers a speech on teacher/student relationships to a concerned parent, livid over the way students use teachers and never look back or offer thanks. The scene makes sense on paper as a last moral stand before life implodes, but it comes off preachy and out of place in a film full of unchecked crime, where the main themes are appearance vs reality and the lengths someone will go to to keep from being punished.

Yet for every situation that feels fumbled or poorly placed, there are elements of Tassone’s life that are treated with startling empathy. His gayness, a secret from the public, is seen mostly through his relationship with a former student, but as we learn later, Tassone has been unofficially married to another man for over 30 years. It’s never exploitative, and despite its sidelining to the embezzlement story, scenes with the former student and Tassone’s husband are among the most engaging in the film, rarely coded in the way romantic side-plots often are.

Bad Education is full of performances that force you to re-evaluate the actors at play. It’s script is supportive of the actors but not overbearing, and the light directorial touches typically enhance rather than detract from the narrative. Manipulators, thieves, serial liars, these are not good people, but Bad Education does a better job than most true-to-life films at portraying them in three-dimensions, as people with dynamic emotions and the ability to hold two thoughts in their heads at once. Those thoughts are what make them bad people, but they’re also what makes them compelling to watch.
Film Reviews
Cole Clark

The diatribe delivered by Frank Tassone to the helicopter Mom, said in frustration... actually underscores the main motivation of his life and gives a clue on his criminal lapses. He has always been a teacher at heart and that is his life's passion, including pushing the school's reputation to a top national ranking. He is also saying that part of his frustration of being a teacher is the lack of respect and appreciation of the work they do. It is also a hint ( that to help him do his job and to compensate him for the work he does) on why he was helping himself to the company coffers! Misguidedly, he is rationalizing some of the things he did.

Re the exit of Pam from the storyline after she was found out - what else is there to say about life post-dismissal from her post. I think it was summed up neatly when she was facing investigation and when she decided to testify against Frank to lighten her sentence. That scene where she was being comforted by husband, daughter and son was supposed to be their waiting for the jury decision. Her story was all about greed and keeping up with the Joneses! There was nothing to explore about her motivations.

The story of Frank Tassone was that of a seeming missionary complex ( was he harboring a savior or a martyr complex?) and of misguided but criminal actions to accomplish his goals ( he justified the gray areas as necessary and within his discretion, although the fake printing invoices was his means of increasing his total compensation). By understanding his motivations, you are able to understand the means he employed to achieve his goals!


JO