Title: An Education
Starring: Carey Mulligan, Peter Sarsgaard, Alfred Molina
Directed By: Lone Scherfig
UK Release Date: 15th March 2010
Running time: 100 minutes
Certificate: 12A
At first An Education may seem to be a simple film that considers how the consequences of making teenage decisions, fuelled by hormones, can affect the rest of your life. However it is so much more than that.
Carey Mulligan (last seen as Rachel in the excellent “And When Did You Last See Your Father” as well as the lovable Sally Sparrow in perhaps the finest ever episode of Dr. Who – Blink) takes on her first lead role and stuns as the young Jenny in 60s England.
Supported to great effect by the always dependable duo of Peter Sarsgaard and Alfred Molina, An Education is a fine film, played perfectly by its cast. Some say that Mulligan is most likely to step into the sort of roles that Kate Winslett would have played ten years ago. Praise indeed for the young actress, but thoroughly deserved.
Directed by Lone Scherfig and written by Nick Hornby for the screen, adapted from Lynn Barber’s memoirs the film is all the more affecting and poignant for the fact that it is based on real events. An Education is a touching and mesmerising coming-of-age story about a teenage girl living in 1960s suburban London who meets a charming and wealthy man, nearly twice her age, who sweeps her into a whirlwind romance.
Scherfig’s direction is excellent. A light touch he directs his actors with care and precision. The result is compelling, sad and uplifting. An Education received three Oscar nominations and should have won at least one of them.
Highly recommended viewing.
