An Education

"An Education"
Starring: Carey Mulligan, Peter Sarsgaard, Alfred Molina, Olivia Williams, Emma Thompson

Carey Mulligan plays Jenny, a smart as a whip 16 year old living with her parents in 60's London. She does well for herself in school, well enough that she aspires to attend Oxford in her near future. One day, she meets a polite man named David who charms her home from school one day during a down pour.

David seems to good to be true, he's a an older fellow played by Peter Sarsgaard. Her parents disapprove at first, but let their guard down once David charms them over as well. It's a familiar story with not much depth or subtlety, the screenplay written by Nick Hornsby is proper, well groomed, but lacks since it virtually has nothing to say.

We follow young Jenny and David along as he shows her Paris, fine dining, nice clothes, cigarettes, etc. We learn more about him and who he is, but we see it coming from a mile away. When the last act comes around, we are stranded wishing for more. 

There are some redeeming qualities, for instance, Mulligan is terrific. She goes for broke and makes Jenny not some forgettable young teen, but we feel as if she is the woman her Jenny aspires to be. Sarsgaard is serviceable, his accent is terrific, but that may be it. Molina's fiery father is good also, as he provides an occasional spark to the film.

The film was nominated for Best Picture and I can see why. There wasn't a lot to pick from and it probably charmed many academy members, just like the David character.