Set in 1961 England, Carey Mulligan’s (Shame, Drive) breakout performance in Lone Scherfig (One Day, Their Finest) is a movie that resonates in a way that is entirely independent of its time frame and location. Does this mean it’s a timeless classic? Well, when I think of timeless classics, I think of films that are very different from An Education. This beautiful film was on pace to be a timeless classic, one where everything is fine and dandy and one that I probably would not have enjoyed as much if not for a late twist. The setting of 1960s Europe doesn’t pique my interest. If, as I write this in 2018, in my early 40’s when I am much more into the independents than the big blockbusters, the synopsis for this film doesn’t attract, I can only imagine what I thought going into it back in 2009. I’m unsure what piqued my interest in this movie or even got me past the first 15 minutes.
A 95% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes will have some positive effect, but even that can only carry me so far. Whatever it was that encouraged me to continue with this movie, I am grateful even when I suspect that I thought I was getting into some variation of Pride and Prejudice, Atonement, or one of the many other Keira Knightley movies. This movie had a lasting impact on me because it did. However, upon watching it for a second time, with an eight-year gap between viewings, I can unequivocally say that how I thought I remembered this movie was considerably different than what happened. I like it the same, though I feel differently about it, especially how I view the final act.
Still, her only Oscar nomination to date (she was snubbed in 2015 for her incredibly gritty performance in Suffragette), Mulligan’s career performance may be in this, her first real starring role). She has actually had supporting parts in some of my favorite movies. These include Shame, Drive, Brothers, Public Enemies, Mudbound, and The Great Gatsby. Still just 32 years old at the time of this 2018 review, Mulligan will continue to wow audiences and critics alike. She will earn multiple Oscar nominations for future work and will likely win one. But, to many, she will forever be remembered as Jenny Mellor, a 16-year-old British scholar studying hard at a local prep school (that features roles by Emma Thompson as headmistress and Olivia Williams as an I told you so teacher) for her future admittance to Oxford University.
Like many, it has been her dream ever since she was a little girl. Standing in her way is not the lack of intelligence, undisciplined habits, addictive behaviors, insubordination, or any of the like. Instead, everything is going as she planned, right up until she is weeks away from her 17th birthday when she meets David (Peter Sarsgaard – Shattered Glass, Jackie), a suave, erudite, and handsome man who knows exactly the right thing to say and when to say it. Ideal right? Well…not really. David is twice Jenny’s age. And while he might be the right match for someone, she and David are on two different life planes. She might be unable to see past what she perceives as glossy perfectionism.
Though set 55 years ago, the film’s central theme is universal. When presented with something much more significant, do we settle with the mundane, ordinary life we are used to? Is the reward of finding out if something is too true worth the risk of being wrong? Is there anyone else we can trust outside our mothers and fathers? Questions presented in the 1960s are still applicable and will be relevant 55 years from now. Like all of us, we don’t know how we will react to every situation. We can train our minds to respond to situations, but until these situations are presented to us in real life, we don’t know the impact our emotions will have. David turns Jenny’s life upside down. It is not a spur-of-the-moment type of thing. It takes some time for David to penetrate Jenny’s life.
Even during his initial courting, there is no indication that this bright, focused woman will give up on her dream. Instead, she will accommodate this new factor into her life. Sure, he will occupy a great deal of her time, but there are other aspects of her free time that she will give up to spend time with him and still give plenty of time to her studies. But the attention that this older, good-looking man who shares Jenny’s love of fine art, classical music, and foreign films is enthralling, as are the opportunities to travel the world. The only thing more abundant than David’s desire for Jenny seems to be his money and other resources he has to win her over.
Is this new infatuation enough to change the trajectory of Jenny’s life? We know how encompassing this feeling can be for anyone who has been in love before. It can blind us. It can cause us to abandon reason. It can cause us to act irrationally or in new ways. And for this Renaissance Man to take an interest in someone (not so much as plain) as inexperienced and raw in life as Jenny caused her to fall for him in a way she least expected. Scherfig did a fantastic job with pacing. The goal of making a relationship form, blossom, and (go from there) in under two hours that is believable and affecting to the viewer is a feat. Of course, the actors and the script have much to do with that. But it’s the director who brings all of this together.
You might wonder about Jenny’s home life. Where were her parents to prohibit this pedophile from seducing their daughter? Well, Jenny had a fantastic home life. Her parents weren’t overly refined or world travelers. They didn’t have much money but were comfortable living within their means. But just as the charisma of charisma won over Jenny, so did her decent and traditional parents, father Jack (Alfred Molina – Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, Frida) and mother Marjorie (Cara Seymour – Hotel Rwanda, Adaptation). Of course, like any good parents, the thought of their 16-year-old daughter dating a 33-year-old man is unacceptable. But soon, David has both of them eating out of the palm of his hand. He’s a schmoozer, but professionally and personally. So, if he can quickly influence and manipulate everyone he meets, imagine the potential danger he possesses.
The couple makes England and other parts of Europe their playground. Sometimes, they go out with some of David’s friends, but often, it’s just the two of them. And, despite the age difference, what develops between them is rather beautiful. He’s a kind, gentle soul who puts Jenny’s interests first, and we watch through her eyes as she falls deeper and deeper in love with him. They experience it all together. Their chemistry is magnetic. Again, Scherfig does so much work in such a short period to convey that this relationship means so much to Jenny that she is willing to abandon her future to be with this man. And while he doesn’t have to make the same sacrifices, Sarsgaard does a fantastic job conveying his interest and appreciation for Jenny without it being *too* creepy.
So, what was great about this movie? Its story fascinated me. David and Jenny’s age difference should have been a red flag, but it wasn’t. My biggest problem with Call Me By Your Name was that Oliver was much older than Elio, 17. The age difference between David and Jenny was even greater, but it didn’t bother me as much. Maybe it was because Jenny seemed more educated, sophisticated, and adult-like than the cocky and emotional Elio. Neither movie was overly sexual in its presentation. Both movies made a conscious decision to tone those components down. And it worked for each movie, with both movies earning Oscar nominations for Best Picture and each of its leads earning a Best Acting nomination. Maybe it was because Jenny’s parents knew about the relationship, whereas Elio’s were not. Maybe Scherfig did a much better job than Luca Guadagnino, director of Call Me By Your Name, in convincing me that this relationship was more than a fling. I never felt like the relationship between Elio and Oliver would ever last beyond the summer they spent together.
Maybe it was the third act of An Education that I was completely unprepared for. We knew something had to happen. While there were signs of some sketchiness between some top characters and some side characters, Helen (Rosamund Pike – Gone Girl, Hostiles) and Danny (Dominic Cooper – My Week with Marilyn, Miss You Already) are important. Still, we didn’t know why there weren’t a ton of clues to suggest what would happen. Ironically, Call Me By Your Name offered nothing regarding conflict or an unknown between characters. Call Me By Your Name was a simple movie. I don’t know what earned it so much praise other than, like others who I’ve talked with, it just remains stuck in your head and refuses to leave, much like a song you hear at the grocery store and sing to yourself over and over for the remainder of that day. Sometimes, you don’t question why you enjoyed a movie. Instead, you’re just glad the movie was there to enjoy. An Education is one of those examples.
Plot 9.5/10
Character Development 8.5/10
Character Chemistry 9/10
Acting 9/10
Screenplay 9/10
Directing 9.5/10
Cinematography 9.5/10
Sound 9.5/10
Hook and Reel 8.5/10
Universal Relevance 9/10
92%
A
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