An Education - A Review

Well this is the second part of what I am informally referring to as my Carey Mulligan trilogy, which will be concluded tomorrow, and which was induced yesterday with my review of The Great Gatsby. Kudos to my friend Ada for her recommendation of this delightfully quirky British film, produced by BBC Films. An Education stars Carey Mulligan, then unknown in her first starring role as Jenny, a bright 16 year old schoolgirl who plays the cello and keeps out of trouble, on track to be accepted into Oxford University. Her plan goes awry when she is seduced by a David, a handsome charismatic businessman, who woos her with parties and trips to Paris.

Thematically the film deals with the use and meaning of an education, why an education is important, and what an education means in ones life, Jenny essentially has to choose between what David refers to as the 'University of Life' and going to university and getting a formal education. Jenny looks at the female role models around her, and what they have done with their education, and the choices they have made. David tells her that he went to 'The University of Life' referring to how he never had any kind of formal education, yet manages to have a fabulous existence none the less. Jenny finds this life exciting, she is taken in by the parties and the concerts and the money, and the trips to Paris. Her boring life with her parents could never compete with this.

Carey Mulligan portrays Jenny, a young innocent ingenue who is taken advantage of. Mulligan manages to add a depth and weight to this character. The character at times has to be submissive and obedient when she is at school, and yet when she is with David, she discovers another side, a wilder more emancipated side, and a side which she finds exciting and terrifying, these two personalities come together at the end of the third act.

Peter Sarsgaard portrays David, the charming Jewish businessman, who seduces Jenny and her parents, into letting them into their world, and into letting him sweep Jenny away to Paris, where she will discover her own sexuality. Sarsgaard is successful in portraying a man who is charismatic and charming, yet who's slick exterior hides a more sinister and chaotic interior, the interior of a man with two lives, and who struggles with choosing between these lives. Sarsgaard grafts a character with whom we empathize, yet who also disgusts us, and who seems as pathetic as he is admirable.

The film is beautifully shot, and cinematographically distinct, the film uses colors which mimic the sixties when the film is set, the film is clearly well made, and concisely achieves what it sets out, without being over ambitious or pretentious. The film succeeds by focusing of character and performance, and thus allows the audience to connect with the characters, an effect which is enhanced by the fact that the characters don't feel too foreign, and the audience is allowed to see themselves portrayed onscreen.

Overall this is an entertaining film which features strong performances and beautiful visuals, and which will surely go down as a classic film in motion picture history. Rating: A

Jenny: If people die the moment that they graduate, then surely it's the things we do beforehand that count.