Bad Education doesn’t shy away from the humor of the situation, but it doesn’t go for the cheap laughs either.

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.

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.

Jackman shines, teasing us with suggestions of just how deep his performance runs.

The strength of Jackman’s performance is that he hoodwinks us with his decency.