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Flicks - An Education This movie about an English girl who falls for a sophisticated older man is that rarity--a mainstream film of sharp intelligence and wit. by Chris Dashiell - The Film Snob An Education. The title of this new English film has a sly double meaning, since it's about the struggle between formal learning and the urge to learn directly from life. Adapted by Nick Hornby from a memoir by British journalist Lynn Barber, An Education tells the story of a whip-smart 16-year old girl named Jenny, living in 1961 London, who listens to French records, plays the cello, and dreams of being sophisticated, while her parents, particularly her penny-pinching father, are obsessed with getting her into Oxford. Along comes a handsome Jewish businessman in his 30s named David Goldman, who promptly sweeps Jenny off her feet, taking her to fine restaurants, art auctions, concerts, and ultimately, after he charms her clueless parents, to Paris. There isn't much of a contest between the drudgery of Latin in grammar school and an exciting life with David and his friends, and Jenny's rebellion against the repressive mores of early 60s England creates amusing complications.
The fact that the director, Lone Scherfig, is a woman, helps explain the film's skilled balance of wit and tough-mindedness when it comes to the decisions of its main character. Jenny is played by Carey Mulligan, an inspired choice in her first starring role—with her mischievous and emotionally open performance she makes you completely believe in this girl, well-rounded even in her faults, and then we watch her seem to grow into adult taste and experience before our eyes. Peter Sarsgaard plays the blithely seductive David, and the role is so well written that we thoroughly like him even when we sense that he might be too good to be true. The excellent supporting cast includes Rosamund Pike, funny as a somewhat shallow party girl, and especially the veteran actor Alfred Molina, who plays Jenny's father with just the right mix of single-mindedness, gullibility, and affection.
The story seems to be taking us in a certain direction, and helping us see some important choices and why Jenny would make them—but with a remarkable lack of sentimentality, the film ends up revealing completely different perspectives than we were prepared for. And that is only to hint at the assured style and wisdom of the picture. With Carey Mulligan's enchanting performance at the center, An Education is that rarity—a mainstream film of sharp intelligence and wit.