An Education
Carey Mulligan and Peter Sarsgaard in An Education
Tuesday, 27, Oct 2009 03:36
Directed by Lone Scherfig, starring Cary Mulligan, Peter Sarsgaard, Alfred Molina, Dominic Cooper, Rosamund Pike and Emma Thompson. Out October 30th in cinemas, running time 95 minutes.
In a nutshell.
A 1960s schoolgirl is led astray by a charming older man.
Who's in it?
An Education marks the first major lead role for Carey Mulligan. The British actress previously starred in Pride and Prejudice and series of small TV roles. She is set to appear in Wall Street 2 next year.
Peter Sarsgaard has starred in a wide-variety of films including Garden State, Jarhead and Rendition.
Danish director Lone Scherfig burst onto the scene with Italian for beginners (Italiensk for begyndere) in 2000 which went on to win the Jury Prize at the Berlin Film Festival.
Any chance of any Oscar?
Mulligan is a shoe-in for a best actress nomination, while Bafta is also sure to award this delightful British film.
What the others say
"[Mulligan] makes the role luminous when it could have been sad or awkward. She has such lightness and grace, you're pretty sure this is the birth of a star" - Chicago Sun-Times
"It's Carey Mulligan's ivy-league performance that really puts the film in a class all by itself" - Access Hollywood
So is it any good?
Adapted by Nick Hornby from Lynne Barber's memoir, this tale of a 1960s schoolgirl led astray by a charming older man is an absolute triumph of British cinema.
Carey Mulligan is utterly delightful as the straight laced 16-year-old Jenny growing up in Twickenham under the watchful eye of her strict but loving parents.
She dreams of heading to Oxford University to read English. Underneath the academic ambitions though also lies a deeper desire to break free from the "boring" world that awaits her once she finishes her studies.
That opportunity suddenly presents itself when she meets David (Peter Sarsgaard), a suave older man with an impressive sports car and apparently the keys to the life she always dreamed of - classical concerts, art auctions and romantic trips to Paris. The world of jazz clubs and jaunts to the country soon become too alluring for Jenny and she starts contemplating turning her back on Oxford and fully entering this seemingly magical world.
Twenty-four-year-old Mulligan is superb as the teenage girl discovering her true identity. As pretty as she is feisty her portrayal of Jenny is spot on and from the first shot you fall head over heels in love with her.
The same can be said for Alfred Molina who is hilarious as Jenny's stick-in-the-mud father. As with all Hornby scripts comedy plays a key role in the film with Molina delivering the majority of the brilliant lines. American Sarsgaard is impressive as the cocky yet vulnerable gent, while Dominic Cooper is on top form as his glamorous but shady business partner. Rosamund Pike is also a complete delight as Cooper's on-screen girlfriend.
The true beating heart of the film though is Mulligan and while the film's ending may slightly let down some audience members there can be no denying the English actress has delivered the performance of her young career so far. Many many awards await.
8/10
Richard James