An Education works little wonders even if it's an imperfect film. There's much to recommend about it as this season's British indie movie with something different going for it. It's something about its character and the circumstances of what happens to her that's fascinating: sixteen year old Jenny (Carey Mulligan),a smart girl with a love for Parisian culture and music and movies, is pressured to get into Oxford, not even so much for the English degree to teach English (or Latin as case might be) but for the status. Enter in David (Sarsgard),an older man who rides up to Jenny one rainy day and offers her a ride home. From then on its a romantic affair between the two, where he whisks her to wonderful jazz clubs and auctions, and even, eventually, to Paris. A twist happens late in the film that turns all of this upside down, but I dare not reveal it here.

What makes it interesting is not so much the teen girl with adult male aspect (on that side of the coin it's like a British version of Manhattan only told from the girl's point of view and a less conflicted man in the situation),but how the relationship is perceived by her parents and peers and teachers. This isn't some illicit affair to be kept under wraps, but something that (refreshingly for a movie at least) is out in the open, and with that comes the awkward stares and upturned eyebrows, and as well the charm that David exudes on Jenny's parents. It's as much a film about romance as it is about class, about how Jenny fits in or could fit in to a society in Britain in 1961, and how David fits in and how her parents see her fitting in (or, for that matter, how David fits others in as a property re-seller to the black community). And of course the aspect of Oxford vs. getting married, the only options for Jenny at a crucial point.

And now for the rest of the good and... well, not so much bad but just underwhelming. The good is this newcomer Carey Mulligan. One can't wait but to see her in other films; she's a natural at playing a great range of emotions required for this complex character, a girl who thinks and acts and talks like a woman but yet still sort of a girl at the same time (see Jenny's trip to Paris for that). Supporting players like Molina and Williams are also very good, giving their scenes the proper 'umph' needed and gravitas in some key scenes. Sarsgaard fares a little less well with a good performance but less than convincing accent. The screenplay by Nick Nornby (for once he's adapting a book!) and it's written with a natural ear for the way characters at that time might speak. The direction is clear and concise and just handsome enough to be competent. The last ten minutes, however, seem rushed on all of the ends of the storytelling, after such a good momentum has been building on the crest of Jenny's future.

It's a very good movie where we care about the characters and see some life lessons learned with (usually) unsentimental results. It's a tragic-comic crumpet of a movie, dear and serious, amusing but very telling about human nature. 7.5/10

I enjoyed "An Education" and think it's a very well made film. The script is interesting as well as original, the acting very good and the entire production lovely. However, despite this, I kept having a nagging feeling going through my mind that so many of the characters in the film were bone-heads. Now this is NOT to say you shouldn't watch the film--it's very, very good. But it's also a film about some incredibly naive and rather stupid people.

The film stars Carey Mulligan as a high schooler who is planning on going to college--and hopefully to Oxford. This isn't just her goal but her father's (Alfred Molina)--and he ALWAYS pushes her to achieve and focus only on this goal. However, when Carey's character meets a much older and apparently successful man, her protective father is so taken by the guy (Peter Sarsgaard) that he totally ignores all the danger signs. All Dad cares about is that this new man in her life can help her get into a great school and become successful. So, instead of protecting his daughter, the parents (especially Dad) push her to see more and more of this guy. But, she is not quite 17--and way too young for the fast life that she's contemplating. On the other hand, it's an exciting time with this man and she is now opening up her eyes to a much wider world.

So, Carey's character is dumb--but you can understand this and chalk it up to naiveté. Her parents (especially Dad) are REAALLY dumb but have no excuses. And as for this new man, well, you'll have to find out more about who he is--his motivations, his character and his impact on her life.

I appreciated the acting all around, but found two performances captivating. Mulligan was terrific--and quite convincing. And, Molina was wonderful--very funny yet touching late in the film. An enjoyable film even though you KNOW that it's all heading down a dark and dangerous path and it's tough to watch at times because you care about them so much. Well done.

An Education was promising from the get go considering the great cast in roles that would potentially suit them very well and very good source material that says a lot about the coming-of-age subject. It is an example of a film that is a great adaptation and even greater on its own terms. My only complaints are the rushed and somewhat heavy-handed ending and a few moments where more time could have been devoted to them to make them less jumpy and a few motivations a little more believable.

Other than that, An Education is an outstanding film that does almost everything right. It is a fantastic looking film with period detail that is both sumptuous and evocative and the cinematography is some of the most beautiful of any film I've seen in recent months. The music is charmingly understated and sensitively utilised, fitting well with the 1960s setting. Some say that An Education's script is simplistic, not to me it wasn't, to me it was one of the reasons why An Education worked so well, it's observant, thankfully stripped of froth and doesn't ramble. The comedy is genuinely hilarious, the drama is incredibly poignant and the film has a lot to say about coming-of-age, sexual curiosity and teenage intellectualism and handles them smartly, insightfully and truthfully.

The story, despite the pacing not being completely perfect, is always compelling and uncomplicated without falling into too simplistic or moralistic territory, like it could easily have done. The characters are at least interesting and Lone Scherfig directs with a light, assured touch. The best thing about An Education is the acting, the cast was already a great one on paper and everybody gives performances that are never less than great in roles well-suited to them. The best performance does go to Carey Mulligan, who has never been better and it is hard to believe that this was her feature debut(one of the best I've ever seen without a shadow of a doubt). Peter Sarsgaard brings charm and creepiness to a potentially problematic character, but well handled here. Alfred Molina gives an amusing and heartfelt performance as the stuffy father figure, his best acting moment was his monologue outside Jenny's door, the scene was a tear-jerker and Molina delivered it brilliantly. Rosamund Pike is hilarious in the air headed bimbo socialite role with effortlessly subtle comic timing and Emma Thompson is a definite scene-stealer in a role that she relishes(she also has some of the best lines) even though her screen time is brief.

Overall, an outstanding film with the acting and the production values being the best things about it. 9/10 Bethany Cox