At the Movies with Kevin:
An Education luminates on the silver screen
Kevin Jukkola - Entertainment Editor
Issue date: 11/24/09 Section: Entertainment
Although Jenny tends to earn our sympathies because of her youth and inexperience with such a master manipulator, she often lies to her parents in order to hide the true nature of the relationship. Mulligan easily expresses intricate emotional transitions within scenes whose difficulties are difficult to comprehend and almost impossible to describe.
Peter Sarsgaard has a smile, a look that can be interpreted as anything from conniving to kind. There is a revelation at the conclusion that comes as a complete surprise because of his reluctance to part with any additional information through his reactions. Sarsgaard expertly crafts the character in a way that delays the disclosure of his intentions until the last possible moment.
Sarsgaard's subtlety is essential in deceiving Jenny, her parents, and the audience into only observing the best parts of him through an insidious charm. By overdramatizing any situation, he would set off alarm bells that could not be undone about the possibilities of danger that could derive from a relationship with him. Sarsgaard has been largely overlooked by the Oscar prognosticators because there is no yelling and screaming; just close, careful meditation on the benefits and implications of his next move. He is a fantastic actor who has created memorable characters in many films, including "Boys Don't Cry", "Kinsey", and "Jarhead", that become an integral part of the atmosphere while eloquently blending into the flow of the narrative.
The film is truly an emotional, spiritual, and intellectual education for Jenny. "An Education" is not about whether Jenny becomes brighter through her schooling knowledge, but rather an exploration on whether she becomes smarter about life through the harsh consequences of these actions. The conclusion of "An Education" unnecessarily takes the time to encourage a certain path for Jenny to follow, even though the film is actually about what she has learned, instead of where she is going.
The screenwriter, Nick Hornby, is a talented scribe who tends to focus on relationships between people who are learning more about themselves than the people they become involved with. Although his other films, such as "About a Boy", "Fever Pitch", and "High Fidelity", are about people of varying ages, they are all coming-of-age stories of grown individuals who have not emotionally developed past their adolescence.
The relationship between Jenny and David is an unstable one built on misunderstandings, lies, and half-truths. It is obvious that the building blocks will eventually fall precipitously and heartlessly on Jenny. The hope is that they will tumble softly enough as to not crush the engaging spirit that makes her so pleasant to be around.
Peter Sarsgaard has a smile, a look that can be interpreted as anything from conniving to kind. There is a revelation at the conclusion that comes as a complete surprise because of his reluctance to part with any additional information through his reactions. Sarsgaard expertly crafts the character in a way that delays the disclosure of his intentions until the last possible moment.
Sarsgaard's subtlety is essential in deceiving Jenny, her parents, and the audience into only observing the best parts of him through an insidious charm. By overdramatizing any situation, he would set off alarm bells that could not be undone about the possibilities of danger that could derive from a relationship with him. Sarsgaard has been largely overlooked by the Oscar prognosticators because there is no yelling and screaming; just close, careful meditation on the benefits and implications of his next move. He is a fantastic actor who has created memorable characters in many films, including "Boys Don't Cry", "Kinsey", and "Jarhead", that become an integral part of the atmosphere while eloquently blending into the flow of the narrative.
The film is truly an emotional, spiritual, and intellectual education for Jenny. "An Education" is not about whether Jenny becomes brighter through her schooling knowledge, but rather an exploration on whether she becomes smarter about life through the harsh consequences of these actions. The conclusion of "An Education" unnecessarily takes the time to encourage a certain path for Jenny to follow, even though the film is actually about what she has learned, instead of where she is going.
The screenwriter, Nick Hornby, is a talented scribe who tends to focus on relationships between people who are learning more about themselves than the people they become involved with. Although his other films, such as "About a Boy", "Fever Pitch", and "High Fidelity", are about people of varying ages, they are all coming-of-age stories of grown individuals who have not emotionally developed past their adolescence.
The relationship between Jenny and David is an unstable one built on misunderstandings, lies, and half-truths. It is obvious that the building blocks will eventually fall precipitously and heartlessly on Jenny. The hope is that they will tumble softly enough as to not crush the engaging spirit that makes her so pleasant to be around.
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