Film Review: "Operations Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal" (2021).

"The man behind the scandal." This is Operations Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal. This documentary film directed by Chris Smith and written by Jon Karmen. Reenactments drive this documentary investigating the mastermind behind a scam to get the kids of rich and famous families into top US universities.

In 2019, a scandal arose over a criminal conspiracy to influence undergraduate admissions decisions at several top American universities. The investigation into the conspiracy was code named Operation Varsity Blues. In early March, the investigation and related charges were made public by United States federal prosecutors. At least fifty-three people have been charged as part of the conspiracy, a number of whom pleaded guilty or agreed to plead guilty. Thirty-three parents of college applicants are accused of paying more than $25 million between 2011 and 2018 to William Rick Singer, organizer of the scheme, who used part of the money to fraudulently inflate entrance exam test scores and bribe college officials. Singer controlled the two firms involved in the scheme, Key Worldwide Foundation and The Edge College & Career Network (also known as "The Key"). He pleaded guilty and cooperated with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in gathering incriminating evidence against co-conspirators. He said he unethically facilitated college admission for children in more than 750 families. Singer faces up to sixty-five years in prison, and a fine of $1.25 million. Prosecutors in the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts, led by United States Attorney Andrew Lelling, unsealed indictments and complaints for felony conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud against fifty people, including Singer, who has been "portrayed [...] as a criminal mastermind", university staff he bribed, and parents who are alleged to have used bribery and fraud to secure admission for their children to eleven universities. Among the accused parents are prominent business-people and well-known actors. Those charges have a maximum term of twenty years in prison, supervised release of three years, and a $250,000 fine. One month later, sixteen of the parents were also indicted by prosecutors for alleged felony conspiracy to commit money laundering. This third charge has a maximum sentence of twenty years in prison, supervised release of three years, and a $500,000 fine. The case is the largest of its kind to be prosecuted by the US Justice Department.

It's told with a great deal of style and energy, distilling the complex anatomy of a cock-up into just one hundred minutes of brisk, mixed bag storytelling. It's the perfect melding of groundwork-laying, commentary, comedy, tragedy and longform cinejournalism. It's a three-alarm indictment. At moments, its conspiratorial vibe feels like a friend sharing juicy gossip. But Smith digs deeper to show the damage wrought by Singer. This jaw-dropping film about the college admissions scandal that become a hot topic debacle is an absolute must-see. I sat watching it in a state of amused disbelief (while, yes, occasionally swearing). There's not too many places to see this much madness, ego, greed, and full-on stupidity on display at the same time.

Simon says Operations Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal receives:

Also, see my review for The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann.