An Education

To really know me you must understand how much I love British Films. They are my secret crush. I wish they would get more attention in North America but then maybe they wouldn’t seem as special to me. Maybe it’s because I often secretly wish I was British. When I come across one, which is usually an independent art house type film; I exult in clappy jumps and squeals. I love the dry humor most people never get. I love the drama. I love the accents. Intense moments just seem so much more dramatic when the lines are delivered with such an accent. My sister in law lives in London. I am jealous that she gets to hear it all the time.

So I have been waiting for months to see An Education. I saw the trailer on Apple/trailers ages ago and have been salivating over it ever since. This film stars this year’s BAFTA winner for Best Actress, Carey Mulligan and American Born, acting as a British lad, Peter Sarsgaard. My expectations were high and they were met. There was no disappointment with this film. Great story line, great acting, great music, great setting. I laughed, I cried, I held my breath and when it was over I wanted to watch it all over again. I’m definitely one of those people. Someone who can watch a movie 50 times or more and not get sick of it.

Here is the synopsis of the movie: It’s 1961. Attractive, bright 16-year-old schoolgirl, Jenny (Carey Mulligan) is poised on the brink of womanhood, dreaming of a rarefied, Gauloise-scented existence as she sings along to Juliette Greco in her Twickenham bedroom. Stifled by the tedium of adolescent routine, Jenny can’t wait for adult life to begin. Meanwhile, she’s a diligent student, excelling in every subject except the Latin that her father is convinced will land her the place she dreams of at Oxford University. One rainy day, her suburban life is upended by the arrival of an unsuitable suitor, 30-ish David (Peter Sarsgaard). Very quickly, David introduces Jenny to a glittering new world of classical concerts and late-night suppers with his attractive friend and business partner, Danny (Dominic Cooper) and Danny’s girlfriend, the beautiful but vacuous Helen (Rosamund Pike). David replaces Jenny’s traditional education with his own version, picking her up from school in his Bristol roadster and whisking her off to art auctions and smoky clubs. Just as the family’s long-held dream of getting their brilliant daughter into Oxford seems within reach, Jenny is tempted by another kind of life. Will David be the making of Jenny or her undoing?

Here is the trailer for An Education: http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/sony/aneducation/

I think Carey Mulligan has an incredibly bright future ahead of her. She is making fantastic choices when it comes to scripts and characters to portray. Her next film is titled The Greatest where she stars alongside Susan Sarandon and Pierce Brosnan. After that you’ll see her in Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps with Shia LaBeouf (her current boyfriend) and Michael Douglas. So, would I like to be Carey Mulligan for a day? Yes Please.