An Education: DVD Review

An Education: DVD Review

An Education
Released by Universal Home Video
Rating: M
An Education arrives on DVD having been feted through the awards season.
It's the story of Carey Mulligan's Jenny in 1960s London who's on the verge of finishing school and embarking on the next stage of her life, which is likely to be university if everyone around her is to be believed.
However, Jenny one day meets David (Peter Sarsgaard) a thirtyish man who offers her another way of life - that of swinging London. So throwing much caution and abandon to the wind, Jenny joins David and his friends for a bally good time.
But David is of course only intent on one thing - seducing her and soon Jenny finds her world around her is falling apart.
An Education is a fairly average coming of age film based on Brit journo Lynn Barber's memoirs of the time.
There's one thing though which elevates it above the normal straight to DVD fare - Carey Mulligan.
This teen actress is simply brilliant as Jenny; she wonderfully encapsulates her dilemma about entering this world and the headiness of teen years where rebellion is always the norm. But thanks to a stunning performance, Mulligan manages to help paper over the cracks in the film's plot; whether it's watching it with 21st century eyes, her life seems destined to go awry but it's due to her onscreen presence that the film manages to triumph.
Alfred Molina and Peter Sarsgaard offer adequate support but are simply acted off the screen by Mulligan - trust me when I say this girl is destined for big things.

Rating: 7/10