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Here in the Dark: 'An Education' review

By Sam Watson
Internet & Special Projects Editor
swatson@johnsoncitypress.com

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You should be naturally suspicious of Peter Sarsgaard’s Svengali, David, the moment he pulls his sports car alongside 16-year-old schoolgirl Jenny in the British dramedy “An Education,” but like everyone on screen, you’ll let down the guard with his every winsome smile and polite gesture.

The droll, captivating coming-of-age film hinges on that passive trust — the suspension of disbelief allowing you to consider that wily David might really have pure motives as he charms Jenny right out of her considerable sensibilities.

What makes the story so worthwhile, though, is that Jenny (fresh face Carey Mulligan in a vibrant, star-making performance) is no simple mark. She’s an intelligent, discerning, mature and even somewhat worldly girl, yet she still manages to lunge headfirst into David’s temptations.

Hardworking and talented, Jenny is entering her final term at a posh preparatory school in 1960s England as she readies herself for an Oxford education.

Her domineering father, Jack (Alfred Molina in another of his spot-on performances), and plucky but inert mother, Majorie (Cara Seymour), have laid out Jenny’s life in a rigid regimen of academics and music, all for one purpose: building her resumé toward admission at Oxford, where she’ll undoubtedly find a suitably well-heeled mate.

Jack’s overestimation of his intellect is matched only by his doltish perspective, especially when it comes to Jenny. She plays the cello in the local youth orchestra, but per Jack’s opinion, she needn’t practice lest she take time from her Latin studies. After all, the orchestra is already in her portfolio.

But Jenny is too wistful and willful to be suffocated by Jack’s sense of propriety. She listens to French records against his wishes, smokes with her classmates and considers her 17th birthday the perfect occasion to lose her virginity.

So when older, gallant and seemingly sophisticated David upends her pedestrian life with flowers, offers of concerts and late nights on the town, she’s curious, flattered and progressively willing to bend the rules to take part.

He’s so enchanting and clever that he effortlessly negotiates his way around Jack and Majorie, unleashing Jenny into a world of intrigue and new experiences. It’s an education of different sorts — one that books could never offer.

The comparisons and the dissimilarities may be obvious, but “An Education” is in many senses a modern “Roman Holiday” with a proper edge.

From the moment Mulligan graces the screen as Jenny, her infectious presence can’t help but call forth Audrey Hepburn’s stunning 1953 debut as a leading lady.

Both Jenny and Hepburn’s Princess Ann are irrepressible girls on the cusp of womanhood. Both escape parental bonds to partake of the world outside with older men. Both are beyond bored with traditional behavior, well-worn paths and expectations, and both come of age via the newfound independence.

Both Hepburn and Mulligan light up every shot they’re in and pitch their stories with effervescent genuineness.

The similarities end there. Though it’s a joyous classic, “Roman Holiday” is pure fairy tale, never setting out to tell more than a story of exploration, maturation and love. Gregory Peck’s Joe Bradley is the perfect gentleman and never so much as leers inappropriately at Princess Ann.

But the Hays Code regulations that stifled adult stories in 1950s cinema are gone, so “An Education” goes where “Roman Holiday” could not and where way too many modern films fail to even look.

Adapted from the memoir by journalist Lynn Barber, “An Education” in every way typifies the mature, consequential plots filmmakers should be sharing with today’s audiences but just don’t often enough. Jenny’s growth into adulthood is no fairy tale. Her story builds in finely crafted layers, and each scene offers subtle progression in her direction.

Mulligan manages to project both naiveté and reason in the same moments. Her Jenny defies definition.

Just as key is Sarsgaard’s David, for a lesser actor might have taken the character in one direction or another rather than finding the middle ground between Prince Charming and vulture that drives the plot. Even David doesn’t know whether he’s a cad, though surely he suspects, and the ever-reliable Sarsgaard sells that enigma with utterly convincing depth.

Danish director Lone Scherfig (“Italian for Beginners”) and screenwriter Nick Hornby also make that happen by maintaining an airy tone. “An Education” stays hip and light, disguising itself as a romantic picture even when doling out punches and lessons until ultimately tipping its hand at just the right moments.

The period detail, particularly the lean costume design, and spirited score contribute to the mood, which never goes so dark as to seem like a heavy-handed morality play.

“An Education” does have one notable flaw: The plot wraps up far too quickly and neatly, somewhat cheapening Jenny’s journey. It’s always frustrating when a film explores great ideas with such humor and complexity but cannot bring it all home with an equally adept conclusion. It’s not enough for a resolution to satisfy if the method seems rushed and simplistic.

Still, “An Education” is a winsome, funny and sharp picture that deserves a look, if for no other reason than Mulligan’s breakout performance.

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Having kicked off the annual Asheville (N.C.) Film Festival last week, “An Education” opens for a regular engagement Friday at Asheville’s Fine Arts Theatre. For screening times, visit www.fineartstheatre.com or call (828) 232-1536.