Coming-of-age tales are some of the biggest cliche mine fields in film. The story arch is so played out -- youth falls out of line or into line, then back, then forth, learns valuable lesson, roll credits. There are, of course, the parents who just don't understand (except really they do). Plenty of tears, minced words, tantrums and then, relief and self-discovery.
If only real life were so reassuring in its predictability.
On a narrative level, An Education doesn't do a whole lot to alter or subvert these coming-of-age genre signposts, it just does them a lot better than most films. Like David (Peter Sarsgaard), the older man who Oxford-hopeful Jenny (Carey Mulligan) falls for, the film has an irresistible charm that lingers even as it starts to wear thin.
An Education In British Society Before The Beatles
Based on Lynn Barber's memoir with a screenplay courtesy of British novelist Nick Hornby (High Fidelity, Fever Pitch), An Education takes a look at pre-Swinging London from the Twickenham suburb, right before the generation gap completely widened. Jenny's parents (portrayed wonderfully by Alfred Molina and Cara Seymour) keep her confined to her studies, encouraging things like choir and the cello only as marketable hobbies to make her a better Oxford candidate.
To Jenny, they, along with her teachers (Olivia Williams and Emma Thompson in brief but excellent roles) represent all that is wrong in British culture: the stuffy, dated values equipped with little social mobility for a young woman.
And then, out of the blue, in a rainstorm no less, excitement finds its way into her life. David -- a Jewish culture vulture with a flashy sports car and a questionable line of business -- offers Jenny a chance to experience all the things she's only read or heard about: concerts, jazz clubs, art auctions and fine dining.
Carey Mulligan-- A Young Actress Well Ahead of the Learning Curve
As the impressionable but incredibly bright Jenny, Mulligan is sensational, delivering one of the year's best performances. Watching her go from the girl who dropped French phrases into regular conversation to the girl visiting Paris, we can feel her excitement in every little smile and twinkle of the eyes.
Jenny, the character, quickly finds herself a bit over her head with David's best friend Danny (Dominic Cooper) and his glitzy, ditzy girlfriend Helen (Rosamund Pike). Mulligan, the actress, however, never feels outmatched despite being in leagues with some serious heavy hitters. She goes blow for blow with Thompson (playing the all-girls school headmaster) and Molina as well, proving a worthy adversary on both counts. No one is about to put Jenny (or Mulligan for that matter) in the corner.
Director Lone Scherfig and Writer Nick Hornby Spare Us The Moral Indignation
If there's anyone in An Education who deserves nearly as much praise as Mulligan, both Horny and Sarsgaard must be commended for handling David so well. The older-guy dating a high school-girl (Jenny is 16 going on 17, though Mulligan is actually 24) is never going to be an easy character to sympathize with. Director Lone Scherfig and Hornby are, thankfully, not in the finger wagging business -- it's the story of Jenny's maturation, and David, for better worse, is an essential part of that story.
He has a few odd (bordering on creepy) quirks, and that's before we get to his garden variety of major judgmental flaws. It's to Sarsgaard's credit that we get just enough of the sad, pathetic soul beneath the clever, cultured surface. When the third act gets a little dull and played out, Sarsgaard, Mulligan and their excellent support really help carry An Education admirably through the finish line.
Hornby's script succeeds far more in the smaller, quieter character details than the larger indictments of British culture, which plays best as unspoken subtext. The writer's knack for fleshing out relationships caters to the material and the central character's tough trek through her first real love. For all involved, it's a learning experience, and one made all the more pleasurable thanks to the emergence of Mulligan.
RATING: 3.5 out of 5 stars
VERDICT: While some of An Education can seem a bit breezy and fleeting, the film's performances, namely Mulligan's turn in the lead, make this film a worthwhile venture.
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