Hugh Jackman Deliciously Diabolical in Bad Education

Hard work and little elbow grease never hurt anybody, but privileged staff of Rosyln High School Pam Gluckin and Frank Tassone,  learned that lesson in spades.  Inspired by a true story, Director Cory Finley crafts Bad Education is a smartly assembled, hilariously dark at times squirm-in-your-seat tale that weaves and bobs the most fascinating financial crime in the history of the US school system. Finley and Screenwriter Mike Makowsky, provide a master class film in being a con-artist, with the charismatically handsome Long Island school superintendent, Tassone (Hugh Jackman) taking measures to conceal his authentic self from his colleagues and the law, but the charade rapidly crumbles to bits.  He and his assistant superintendent, Pam Gluckin (Allison Janney), brought the Roslyn School District unprecedented prestige with numbers of college admissions other schools  rivaled. Then, a timid student reporter, Rachel (Geraldine Viswanathan) to digs deep into a skywalk project uncovering some questionable expense reports and a major embezzlement scheme of epic proportions.

Hugh Jackman is so delicious and diabolically menacing as Frank Tassone that it literally makes your skin crawl.  Allison Janney hits another home run as the arrogantly annoying Pam Gluckin allowing audiences no empathy or sympathy for her plight of white privilege.  Ray Romano is fantabulous as the school board President who’s frazzled to his wits end.

The most shocking revelation comes during the end credits of Bad Education when audiences learn this school system was scammed out of more that 11.2 million dollars and Tassone still receives more than 173,000 a year.  Only in America.  Your children and communities deserve better.  Stay woke.