Bad Education

Bad Education tells the true story of the largest school theft in American history. Written by Mike Makowsky and directed by Cory Finley, this is one hell of a fantastic motion picture with robust screenplay and career-crown performance by Hugh Jackman as Dr. Frank Tassone!

The screenwriting quality here is an absolute A1, especially how it leaks information about the main character. We start off seeing how charismatic, friendly, uplifting and beloved Dr. Frank Tassone is as the superintendent of schools at Roslyn district. He remembers the names and details of his students, and he is constantly encouraging them! But as the runtime grows, you can't help but feel something is genuinely wrong. We see him deliberately memorizing pupils' particulars. It comes to our knowledge that he has a wife, and he is loyal to the marriage. But only later do we find out that his spouse passed away 30 years ago, and the wedding ring is a mask for him to date guys. Yes, this and the rest of Frank's background, we learn gradually. The screenplay drip-feeds one fact at a time, and every single time it does that, it turns out to be a superb revelation that digs the rabbit hole deeper and deeper into darkness!

The way the protagonist character is adapted from real life to fiction is simply amazing! Dr. Frank Tassone is a man full of unhealthy secrets. And just like how he always masks them, he does the exact same thing with his physical appearance, from cologne, flashy suits to makeup foundation. His personality is designed to groom the public. After knowing all of this, you'll notice his name is an irony too! We were shown Frank having cholesterol issue but is addicted to carbs and tries his level best to resist it; this could have symbolically stood for greed or just an additional facet that brought little to the table. From threats to sweet words, Hugh Jackman's performance here is the work of a master! He transformed for this role, even having tummy for it and all.

Allison Janney as Pam Gluckin is great as well! Her passive-aggressiveness is something to look out for. Also good is Geraldine Viswanathan as Rachel, the dedicated and ambitious school journalist who drags these events into light. The investigation she conducts regarding the invoices which leads her bumping into Frank at an apartment is probably one of the most riveting sequences in the film!

There's really nothing much to the downside of this feature, except that it seemed to have climaxed the moment the case broke at Plot Point II. Considering there's still 30 minutes left after this incident to broadcast the expected fallout, there's almost no unpredictability here that could hold our attention as much as the three-quarter before did. Also, although came unasked, Frank's explanation on how one accidental usage of school account card blew up to this disaster they're facing today is the last corner puzzle piece that satisfyingly completes the narrative.

Cory Finley's direction is outstanding! Most of the shots are fixed, steady, calm, composed, sharp and precise. Production design is used specifically to display characters and plot. Sound mixing is seamless and the score is noteworthy!