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VIFF 2009 | An Education
By VIFF Correspondent Pennylane ShenAn Education
UK, 2008, 95mins
DIR: Lone Scherfig
Concert cellist and distinguished prep school student Jenny (Carey Mulligan) is on her way to achieving her goal of attending Oxford University. She is relatively content with her modest life in the quiet suburbs of 1960's London until she meets the older, charming and seemingly affluent David (Peter Sarsgaard). Suddenly swept away into a life of glamorous nightclubs, expensive clothes and weekend getaways, time with David resembles Jenny's Parisian fantasy. A self-proclaimed Francophile, Jenny takes quickly to her new lifestyle, abandoning everything she once believed to have worth - in particular her hard-earned education. With any indulgence there are consequences and Jenny's situation is no exception.
An outstanding performance is delivered by new comer Carey Mulligan, whose role in An Education won her the Female Best Hollywood Breakthrough Performance award at the Hollywood Film Festival. Peter Sarsgaard is fantastic as usual, even as a dubious though dashing philanderer. A particularly memorable performance however comes from Alfred Molina who plays Jenny's overprotective father, providing many of the comedic moments in the film.
An Education is Nick Hornby's adaptation of Lynn Barber's memoir and, like all of his coming-of-age stories, the film takes a relatively simple premise (straying from the righteous path) and turns it into a charming, highly enjoyable narrative of sacrifice and self-awareness. Keep an eye out for this one.
Winner, World Cinema Audience Award, Sundance 2009
Schema Magazine's coverage of VIFF 2009 is sponsored by the Toronto Reel Asian Film Festival
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October 28, 2009 at 5:06 AM
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