Actress Carey Mulligan is a revelation as Jenny, an attractive 16-year-old English girl whose plans for studying literature at Oxford are waylaid by David (played by the ever-dependable Peter Sarsgaard), a wealthy older man with a knack for charming his way through any situation.
Danish director Lone Scherfig ("Italian for Beginners") impeccably captures the story's early '60s era English setting, as adapted for the screen by Nick Hornby ("High Fidelity") from Lynn Barber's coming-of-age memoir. Carey Mulligan is utterly captivating as an intellectually precocious francophile daughter of working class parents (exquisitely played by Alfred Molina and Cara Seymour).
Jenny's insatiable hunger for culture is sated by David whose flashy sports car and bon vivant lifestyle conceals secrets that Jenny discovers only after romantically committing to him and a life of art auctions, jazz clubs, and a visit to Paris that allows her to blossom.
"An Education" is an absorbing character study and an evocative exploration of womanhood as embodied by the finest young actress to come along this year.
Sturdy supporting performances by Rosamund Pike, Dominic Cooper, Emma Thompson, and Sally Hawkins, augment the film's earthy and intellectual qualities personal discovery.
Don't miss this terrific movie.
(BBC Films & Endgame Ent.) PG-13. 95 mins.
