In early 1960s England, 16-year-old Jenny (Carey Mulligan) is pressured by her parents to get into Oxford. She’s up to the task intellectually, but she’s bored with her studies and life in general. Enter David (Peter Sarsgaard), an older Jewish man who promises her exactly the sort of adventure (concerts, art auctions, and, eventually, a trip to Paris) she’s looking for, even if it means potentially jeopardizing her future.
Though based on a memoir (by journalist Lynn Barber), there is very little about An Education that rings true. Sarsgaard’s character oozes so much superficial charm that we can’t help but wonder what ugly secret he’s hiding; that he has one is shocking to Jenny but certainly not to us. Similarly, the sympathy for Jenny exhibited by secondary characters verges on unrealistic. Only Emma Thompson as the pragmatic school headmistress seems to have a believably appropriate response. Granted, coming-of-age films like this are supposed to have a certain degree of innocence – and innocence lost – but the naiveté displayed here is a real disappointment, particularly given that Nick Hornby (High Fidelity) wrote the screenplay.
Lone Scherfig’s film is far from a total waste, however. There’s a good period feel, some well-crafted little moments (including an extremely awkward family tea) and the cast is definitely game. The poised, eager Mulligan carries the film in the lead, Sarsgaard nails both his character’s duplicitous allure and the English accent and Rosamund Pike excels as a ditzy friend. The best lines go to Alfred Molina as Jenny’s overbearing father – he’s hilariously crabby, but well-meaning, too.
The best that can be said about An Education is that it strives to grapple with something serious (live for the now or plan for the future?) and it looks good doing it. But when all is said and done, you’re left with a simplistic cautionary tale which is undermined by the fact that nobody really loses in the long run. There just isn’t enough weight and tension here for anything to really resonate.
6.75/10
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