An Education
Directed by: Lone Scherfig
Starring: Carey Mulligan, Peter Sarsgaard, Alfred Molina, Emma Thompson
Rated: PG-13 for mature thematic material involving sexual content, and for smoking.
Despite its critical success, the movie An Education has a very modest style; no showy cinematography, editing or storytelling. Just simple storytelling for a simple story. Not surprising since the film is directed by Dogma 95 director Lone Scherfig, of the foreign film Italian for Beginners. However, underneath its simplicity is a depth that makes the film truly fantastic. The movie boasts a terrific cast, from Alfred Molina to Peter Sarsgaard. But no one's performance matches that of the unknown lead Carey Mulligan, who plays Jenny, a teenager who dreams of being a socialite rather than a university student. Like the film, Jenny is a more subtle character, unlike Meryl Streep's Julia Child or Gabby Sidibe's Precious. However, Mulligan understands the depth of Jenny, and uses every frame to express her character, which may make for my favorite performance of the year. Jenny's transformation in maturity is a complex and more consequential experience than most teenagers, but we all can identify with her angst of being an age where we think we understand the world better than we truly do. What Jenny learns is that adulthood is more than being a certain age.
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