An Education

Before I even get to the review, I want to let you know you can currently find this DVD for $2 on the bargain table at your local Blockbuster (if you live in the USA or Canada). Well worth the price.

Now let's get to the movie. If you're like me & somewhat unexcited by the May- December romance story (Lolita, Venus, Pippa Lee, Last Tango, every Woody Allen flick ever made), you might be asking yourself why you're even bothering. The story here is nothing new, and the description on the back of the DVD sums up the plot in 2 sentences: something about a young schoolgirl torn between her conservative life vs. the glamour life of jazz clubs, older men and sex. But despite this age-old premise, it's the presentation that makes it thoroughly engaging and satisfying.

For one thing, it's set in Britain in the early 1960s. The attitudes, costumes and speech instantly take us back to a time when perhaps the plot wasn't so predictable. Much like watching Three's Company which is so undeniably 70s, we are transported back to a time when the now-trite plot wasn't so trite. So even though part of you may sit there shaking your head thinking "I know where this is going", the overall effect is to experience the film not only through the eyes of a naïve 16-year-old but also through the eyes of a somewhat naïve society. Dark-skinned people are called negroes. The term "Jew" is batted around like an insult. Characters in general are hopelessly clueless compared to today's standards. But the film is presented in a way that we all (should) take it in stride.

For that, I'd say this is probably the most interesting of the May-December romance films I've seen. Also I like the fact that it follows the girl's (younger) point of view whereas all the above films take the man's (older) viewpoint which, especially in the case of Woody Allen & Bertolucci, can come across as the director's attempt to justify his own taste in women. This film, rather, stays away from the subjective morality argument and instead focuses on the consequences. So although the story is far from original, I have to admit that the overall tone is something I haven't seen before.

...with the exception of one amazing film, City of Lost Children (by the director of Amélie). Now there's a film that approaches the subject in a thoroughly unconventional and charming way. If you haven't seen that one, go find a copy right away.

PS Alfred Molina!! You'll love Alfie in An Education. If you're not already a fan of his, check out Chocolat, The Hoax, and you MUST see his skit in Coffee & Cigarettes.

In the cinema certain historical periods have become associated with a particular set of ideas. The 1960s represent change, progress and excitement whereas the 1950s are frequently regarded as a period of stifling social conformity. Of course, the "swinging sixties" did not necessarily start to swing on 1st January 1960, and in retrospect the first few years of the decade seem to have more in common with the conformist fifties than with the "swinging London" era of the later sixties. Certainly, many young people during this period regarded London as a dull, conservative place, and looked eagerly to foreign cities, especially Paris, as being more exciting and radical. There was an enthusiasm for everything French- French philosophy, French literature, French cinema, French fashions, even French jazz and French cigarettes. This Francophilia doubtless included elements of wishful thinking- De Gaulle's Fifth Republic was a more conservative place than many Britons realised- but it was nevertheless an influential phenomenon. It is a phenomenon explored in Julian Barnes' novel "Metroland" (later filmed), and also in this film.

The main character is Jenny, a teenage schoolgirl living in the London suburb of Twickenham in 1961. Jenny is highly intelligent, and is studying hard with a view to taking the entrance exams to Oxford University. She is not, however, really sure why she wants to go to Oxford, except that she is being pushed to do so by her parents who feel that university is the best place for her to meet a wealthy husband.

Jenny's life changes when she meets a handsome and charming older man named David. They quickly become close friends and begin dating. David is clearly wealthy, and claims to be an art dealer and property developer. More important to Jenny, however, is his knowledge of culture. He is well up with all the latest intellectual and artistic fashions from France and takes her to concerts and jazz clubs. What really impresses her is that he takes her to Paris. Eventually, David proposes to Jenny and she accepts and drops out of school without taking her A-levels, her Oxford ambitions abandoned.

Many parents would be worried about the idea of their sixteen-year-old daughter being romanced by a thirty-something man, especially if his influence leads her to neglect her education, but Jenny's parents, especially her complacent, Philistine father, seem strangely unconcerned. His argument is that as Jenny has now found a wealthy suitor there will be no need for her to use Oxford as a dating agency. His one objection to David as a son-in-law seems to be that he is Jewish. (Anti-Semitism was unfortunately widespread in British society at this period). Yet it is obvious to the audience that there is a darker side to David's character. His business methods are, to say the least, not beyond reproach (the character may have been based upon the notorious slum landlord Peter Rachman) and he never takes Jenny to his home, always meeting her in a luxurious flat belonging to his friend and business partner Danny. Eventually, even Jenny herself begins to suspect that David is not all he seems.

The title "An Education" can be understood on two levels. As a coming-of-age drama it narrates Jenny's metaphorical "education" in the wider sense of learning lessons about life. Yet it obviously also deals with her education in the narrower, literal sense of the word. It raises similar issues to another great British film, "Educating Rita", namely whether it is formal academic education or informal education to be gained in the outside world which is the more valuable. Jenny drops out of school because she believes that she can better acquire knowledge, both of high culture and of the ways of the world, through her life with David than through academic study. (Jenny's vision of her future life envisages her living with David in Paris on the Rive Gauche, reading Sartre, smoking Gauloises and going to the cinema to see the latest productions of the Nouvelle Vague). It seems hard to blame her for this conclusion, given that in the film the main advocate of the life academic is her headmistress, an intellectual snob and virulent anti-Semite ("The Jews killed Our Lord!") who serves as a reminder that an educated mind is not necessarily an open one. It is only when she becomes disillusioned with David that Jenny starts to reassess her priorities.

Her performance in the lead role has led to Carey Mulligan being hailed as the "new Audrey Hepburn", although the main point of resemblance seems to be that at one point in the film Jenny sports (as many young women doubtless did in the early sixties) a Hepburn-style hairdo. Nevertheless, on the basis of this performance Mulligan would appear to be a highly promising star in the making, perhaps the new Keira Knightley. Although she is actually 24, she always seems entirely believable as a naive young teenager. Other good contributions come from Peter Sarsgaard as the smooth, reptilian David, Alfred Molina as Jenny's comical, blustering father, Rosamund Pike as Danny's airheaded mistress Helen and Emma Thompson in an excellent cameo as the obnoxious headmistress.

Period drama is something the British cinema often does well, and "An Education" falls within this tradition, even though it has a Danish director, Lone Scherfig. 2009 has already seen two good British costume dramas, "The Young Victoria" and "Dorian Gray", but "An Education" is an even better one. It is not only a study of a girl on the verge of womanhood, but also an exploration of issues such as social class, racism and the value of education. One of the best British films of recent years. I hope that the Academy will remember it when next year's Oscars are being handed out. 9/10

The notably fabulous part of director Lone Scherfig's "An Education" is the insightful choice of starting off the Jenny & David story with the revival of Floyd Cramer's lively popular piano piece "On the Rebound," a 1961 hit. It's such a catchy tune that the delightful melody stayed with me as I watch Jenny's grown-up education evolves, enjoying the solid performances from the cast, which included Alfred Molina as Jenny's insecure & assuming father, Cara Seymour is the warm & unassuming Mum, Olivia Williams is the dependable & vulnerable teacher Jenny leans on, and Emma Thompson is the cold & unyielding headmistress - however brief her interactions were. (Thompson's scene with Mulligan somehow reminded me of Suzanne Pleshette facing the principal at the beginning of "Lovers Must Learn" aka "Rome Adventure" circa 1962 of romance master, w-d Delmer Daves.) Dominic Cooper and Rosamund Pike round out the ensemble as the swanky heedless pair of Danny & Helen, accompanying Jenny & David in their escapades & romps.

"An Education" is far from being a Hollywood sugarcoated love story. Based on British journalist-author Lynn Barber's memoir, the screenplay is by Nick Hornby of "About A Boy" and "High Fidelity," who happens to be also from Surrey county in England - Redhill town in southeast region, as Barber - Bagshot town in northwest region. Skillful Danish director Scherfig, whose "Italian for Beginners" 2000 and "Wilbur wants to kill himself" 2002 (my user comments posted on 22 May 2004 at "us.imdb.com/title/tt0329767/usercomments-18") are two worthwhile films to appreciate - she once again delivered a human connection story at once charming and almost slyly edifying. You might even say it's donnish or erudite: step by step accounts and lessons learned for a lovely young 'demoiselle' ready for Oxford. Impressive lead performances from Mulligan - the spunky intelligent Jenny, albeit budding and susceptible, complemented by Sarsgaard's quietly alluring chap of a David. Molina moves right in as Jack, befittingly so for every role he emphatically delivers. Williams is ever so her demure self and restrained as the literary & lonely Miss Stubbs (look forward to her role in w-d Roman Polanski's "The Ghost Writer" 2010, opposite Pierce Brosnan and Ewan McGregor).

It's second outing for Rosamund Pike and Carey Mulligan together, who were both in director Joe Wright's "Pride and Prejudice" 2005 appealing remake of Jane Austen's classic - Pike as Jane Bennet and Mulligan as Kitty, along with Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen.

The film earned a well-deserved nomination for The Best Motion Picture category along with the other nine 2009 productions for the 82nd Oscar Awards. Besides the superb cast, screenplay, direction and set design, editing and all, the soundtrack selections are quite attractive: Floyd Cramer, Mel Torme, Billy Fury, Brenda Lee, Ray Charles, Percy Faith, Vince Guaraldi and several songs in French lyrics, of course, with five music tracks from the film's composer Paul Englishby. Worth checking into if you so inclined. Yes, you will enjoy "An Education" - entertaining and breezy, not without sensible poignancy.

An Education

Take a star high school senior shooting for Oxford, and add a charming man more like thirty who seduces her (and you) with his utterly kind, gentle, clever, and generous nature.

You can guess what follows. And in a way, that's the let down of the whole thing. The idea is a simple one, yet it unfolds so beautifully, with some extraordinary acting, it is quite engrossing. John Peter Sarsgaard as David, the seducer, is totally convincing, even though we know fairly early that something isn't quite what it seems. As events gradually devolve, so does his character, to a final, deflated ending. The heroine, Jenny, swept into the mess, is played with predictable delicacy by Carey Mulligan, and in a surprise she is really a great supporting role, of sorts, for Sarsgaard, even though she is the star.

Part of the appeal of the movie is the period, early 1960s, as England is finally getting out of the huge debts and doldrums of World War II and the swinging 60s are ready to fly (the Beatles are together but not well known). The old fashioned world, conservative and conventional, of Jenny and her family is dismal and yet comfortable, adorned with small worldly decorations. David brings Jenny to modern life, with its jazzy clubs and trips to Paris, and it's hard not to say his version of life is far superior. Oxford, after all, is so old-school.

It's a joy on all these levels. It doesn't quite have the naturalness it always needs, a few are scenes forced, and the plot lacks complexity (not that complexity is needed, but it needs something to layer it up). Most off-putting of all is the overly precocious Jenny, whose speeches to her schoolmistress and her teacher, and to David, sound like literature, not like a real 17 year old struggling to escape a sheltered upbringing. It doesn't ring true, and the movie depends on believability.

It's early 1960's London. Jenny Mellor (Carey Mulligan) is a sheltered schoolgirl aiming to go to Oxford. She meets David Goldman (Peter Sarsgaard) one rainy afternoon. He's a mysterious older man who opens her eyes to the exciting world outside her life at home. He's so slick that even her parents fall for him. Only there's more of a dark side to David. He does questionable things to keep his highlife. She joins him as her live inevitable slide downwards.

It's annoying how easily deceived her father (Alfred Molina) is. He's more caricature than anything. There are some wonderful exchanges with Miss Stubbs (Olivia Williams). Peter Sarsgaard is so obviously slimy that it's offputting. Carey Mulligan is absolutely lovely. She puts in a great performance.