At the Movies with Kevin:
An Education luminates on the silver screen
Kevin Jukkola - Entertainment Editor
Issue date: 11/24/09 Section: Entertainment
Carey Mulligan is receiving deserved universal admiration for her tremendous performance in "An Education," but the film would lack the same resonance it possesses if Peter Sarsgaard failed to match her any step of the way. A film that is purely character-driven is paralyzed by its reliance on the accuracy of the dialogue and the ability of the actors to express unending depth within their intricate characters. The actors in "An Education" are equal to the task, but the wonderful performances by Mulligan and Sarsgaard are the main forces driving the story to its inevitable, if unforeseen, conclusion.
Mulligan plays Jenny, a 16-year-old schoolgirl whose fears that her life will be a predictable bore are continuously reinforced by her parents, Jack (Alfred Molina) and Marjorie (Cara Seymour). They are incessantly grilling Jenny about her schoolwork with hopes for the future without ever taking the time to inquire about what would bring her genuine happiness. Jenny is on a clear path to study at Oxford, and the world will keep spinning.
Everything changes when Jenny meets David (Peter Sarsgaard), a suave, sophisticated, and charismatic 35-year-old man who drives a nice car and talks a great game. Through their relationship, Jenny is introduced to a world of beautiful art and expensive hotels that seduce her into believing that she is prepared for adulthood without ever having to experience the entirety of adolescence. Eventually, she learns that this grave misunderstanding of her emotional intelligence is simply an unfortunate and unavoidable indication that she is growing up.
The scenes between Jenny and David are electric, not necessarily sexually, but through shared chemistry and uncertainty among two people who are connected if for no other reason than it is more exciting than being alone. Carey Mulligan is innocent and mature, na've and wise, often in the same scene. Her luminous and enchanting presence is commanding with eyes that sharply pierce through the screen as sharp knives whose edges cut deeply to the essence of Jenny.
Mulligan plays Jenny, a 16-year-old schoolgirl whose fears that her life will be a predictable bore are continuously reinforced by her parents, Jack (Alfred Molina) and Marjorie (Cara Seymour). They are incessantly grilling Jenny about her schoolwork with hopes for the future without ever taking the time to inquire about what would bring her genuine happiness. Jenny is on a clear path to study at Oxford, and the world will keep spinning.
Everything changes when Jenny meets David (Peter Sarsgaard), a suave, sophisticated, and charismatic 35-year-old man who drives a nice car and talks a great game. Through their relationship, Jenny is introduced to a world of beautiful art and expensive hotels that seduce her into believing that she is prepared for adulthood without ever having to experience the entirety of adolescence. Eventually, she learns that this grave misunderstanding of her emotional intelligence is simply an unfortunate and unavoidable indication that she is growing up.
The scenes between Jenny and David are electric, not necessarily sexually, but through shared chemistry and uncertainty among two people who are connected if for no other reason than it is more exciting than being alone. Carey Mulligan is innocent and mature, na've and wise, often in the same scene. Her luminous and enchanting presence is commanding with eyes that sharply pierce through the screen as sharp knives whose edges cut deeply to the essence of Jenny.
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