An Education is a really enjoyable movie that is part coming-of-age drama, part love story, part historical commentary, and all enjoyable. The main character, Jenny, is played by Carey Mulligan, who was up for an Oscar for her role in the film. Jenny is an exceptionally intelligent schoolgirl in 1960’s suburban London, with aspirations to go to Oxford. This plan is derailed when she meets an older man, David, played by Peter Sarsgaard. The story unfolds with Jenny’s “education” to culture, art, and sophistication, and with, of course, her relationship to David.
So the most wonderful parts of this movie are two-fold. First there is the excellent acting of both Carey Mulligan and Peter Sarsgaard. I really can’t even imagine any other actors playing these roles. Sarsgaard, although an American, plays the role of a Brit and plays it to perfection. Mulligan is a magnetic ingénue –a slightly pigeon-toed and giggly schoolgirl who transforms into a striking and graceful young woman, reminiscent of Audrey Hepburn. They have palpable chemistry, which is somehow difficult to find on the screen these days.
The other factor in this movie’s success is the awesome screenplay by Nick Hornby and Lynn Barber. They took Lynn’s memoir and created a great story that worked really well on the screen. Hornby also gave us About a Boy and High Fidelity, two stories that translated into near-perfect movie experiences.
So yeah, I could say more, maybe about the stellar supporting cast, including Alfred Molina, Olivia Williams, and Emma Thompson, just to mention a few, or the artful production design, but why bother. This is going to be a movie that many different types and ages of filmgoers are going to enjoy, and you might as well just go ahead and see for yourself. – [DVD] [Blu-Ray]
Drama
Rated PG-13
DVD Release Date: 3/30/10