An Education
should serve as such to any filmmaker looking to respectfully illustrate a May-December romance.Actually, the romance between 16-year-old Jenny and 30-something David falls more squarely into
Lolita
territory, but director Lone Scherfig and writer Nick Hornby artfully steer the film away from the popular gut reaction to borderline pedophilia. Thanks to gentle finesse and extraordinary performances,
An Education
retains its focus on the beauty and thrill of youth alongside an anguishing passage into full maturity.The most exquisite element of this film is, without question, its striking young star, Carey Mulligan. A newcomer, Mulligan and her Bambi eyes seem to shroud every scene in sparkles; she embodies a child’s cheekiness as well as the haunted resignation that comes with the disintegration of adolescent illusions. The movie takes her on an identity quest, but despite the wisdom and strength she accrues, her coy glow never falters. Peter Saarsgard matches her in talent and on-screen charm; he easily slips into the role of a debonair and vaguely troubled English gentleman, never tripping onto either side of the moral divide but instead projecting a likeable opportunism.Jenny and David’s connection imbues 1961 London with a kind of magic that would not come until later in the decade. Their delicate love flowers on grimy streets soaked in factory stench, their tenderness and hope helping to melt the last vestiges of an age of conservatism and poverty. Despite the strong initial reservations of her parents and the enduring horror of her stodgy headmistress (the fantastic Emma Thompson), Jenny giddily follows David into a world of glamour, sophisticated conversation, and French high-society gossip. Her frolickings through Paris bring her into David’s circle of friends, including an elegant couple (Dominic Cooper and Rosamund Pike); their performances smartly imbue
An Education
with an understanding of not only the fear that accompanies youthful transitions like Jenny’s, but also the sadness that arises with adulthood.Hornby, who has previously authored books and screenplays based on the sardonic self-awareness of modern popular culture, stretches his talents to create appropriately graceful dialogue. At times, he gets carried away by the brightness of Jenny’s character and mucks up the words with sitcom-like repartee. On the whole, however, Jenny and David’s love blossoms through a series of charming and sensitive exchanges—starting with their quietly funny first meeting, during which he drives her cello home through the pouring rain while she soggily trots alongside his car. Their moments together pulse with melancholy; even when David’s actions lean towards the sinister and deceptive, he and Jenny remain strangely and beautifully tethered.Unfortunately, Scherfig went with an ending that seems clunky and almost runs counter to
An Education
’s ruminations on the uselessness of societal tradition and its staid expectations. You can read up on the film’s alternate ending online and decide for yourself; either way Mulligan emerges as rosy as ever. Consider the film’s expert handling of moral ambiguity and its high artistic quality: it is not to be missed. So take the time off from that gritty period before finals, and get swept up in
An Education
’s superb tale of entanglement and redemption.