We generally associate education with school. But some of life's lessons teach us far more than we could ever learn sitting in a classroom. An Education uses this play on words to present an interesting examination of greed, taboos, choices and consequences.
Jenny (Carey Mulligan) appears to be at the top of her class. She relishes the good grades that she inevitably receives. She is almost smug in her willingness to answer questions. She is the consummate teacher's pet. Jenny's father Jack (Alfred Molina) has been grooming the young lady for an Oxford education. Every detail down to her hobbies has been carefully planned out for her.
When Jenny has a chance encounter with an older man, David (Peter Saarsgard), her plans get derailed. David exudes opulence. His cunning leads you to believe that something is just not right. He even convinces Jenny's father into allowing her to go away on a weekend trip to Oxford. Jenny sacrifices her studies for an engagement to a man who is not exactly who he pretends to be. The problem for Jenny lies in the fact that she has already seen through the facade and chosen to ignore the warning signs. It becomes an education that will exceed anything that Oxford can teach her.
Nick Hornby adapted An Education from a memoir written by Lynn Barber. I have not read the original memoir but am intrigued by the fact that this story was based on actual events. Having said that, I would not consider myself stunned by that fact. This story takes place outside London in the 1960s, in a neighborhood where the illusion of the white picket fence still permeates sensibilities. The characters are well drawn and the scenarios carefully played out to make the events credible. It would seem impossible that David could convince Jack to allow his daughter to spend a weekend with him, especially in a day and age when decorum was so heavily emphasized. Yet we all know someone like Jack. They have a conniving way of making things seem like your idea. The manner in which those concepts were conveyed lent credibility to the story.
Mulligan and Molina made this story work for me. Their characters both have an undercurrent of suspicion, yet both seem to put on blinders to reality. Their performances helped seal the deal. Saarsgard was good as a con artist, and didn't seem to overplay his hand. Rather than coming across as a greasy used car salesman, Saarsgard creates a more cultured conman that lends further dimension to the role. That also goes back to the writing. An Education was well cast.
An Education received a PG-13 rating from the MPAA. I actually expected a bit more sensuality, but the adult themes were tenderly executed. There were some adult situations and implied nudity that demonstrate the director did not want to use gratuitous nudity for shock value or to sell his story. In fact, the adult themes were fairly tame. The rating is accurate based on the subject matter.
I enjoyed An Education slightly more than I thought I would. I wasn't sure what to expect, but figured I would watch the film since it was an Oscar nominee. It wasn't exceptional enough to win an Oscar, and it didn't. Even though this film was based on a true story, I wouldn't consider it particularly unique. The ending was okay but not fantastic. I might have considered Mulligan for the Best Actress nomination (but not given it to her) but am surprised that the film itself was nominated for Best Picture. It just wasn't that good. It is certainly worth streaming if you can find it. 7.5/10.
